


BuddyFight - Strongest Fighter!

by Marx_Draconis



Category: Future Card Buddyfight
Genre: Betrayal, Card Games, Friendship, Gen, Rivalry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2019-06-25 14:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 52,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15642630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marx_Draconis/pseuds/Marx_Draconis
Summary: The year is 2018, the game known as Future Card BuddyFight has exploded in popularity all over the world! Tournaments to test fighters have risen up in many countries, and each tournament is just a stepping stone towards the most prestigious one of them all: the Strongest Fighter Cup, or the SF Cup. In North America, one fighter in particular trains his hardest everyday to prove his worth. Together by making new friends, and enemies, he vows to one day become the world’s strongest BuddyFighter, and win the SF Cup. This story aims to provide a bit more realism to a BuddyFight setting while also having an engaging storyline.





	1. School Tournament Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Buddyfight - Karras Academy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9565244) by [GoshdarnRabbit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoshdarnRabbit/pseuds/GoshdarnRabbit). 



Hey everybody! My name is Matthew Pandora, and i’m a BuddyFighter! I live in the U.S.A. in the state of Illinois. I’m 17 years old, and I currently attend a high school which has an extracurricular course dedicated to BuddyFight. Today i’m just about to head to the gymnasium, where our course takes place. This session is special, though, as we’re having a class tournament where we only use the first seven Trial Decks. Everyone chose their deck the day prior; I went with Dark Pulse, myself. Our teacher, Mr. Castor, is also entering in the tournament. He’s just as enthusiastic about BuddyFight as everyone else, hell, perhaps even more. The one person to watch out for, however, is Leon Aeolus: the top fighter in the class. He qualified for a large tournament last year, but was sadly knocked out in the first round. Regardless, it was the first and only time our school’s been recognized on a national level due to our BuddyFight skills. Unfortunately, the incident went to his head a bit more than normal. His ego stretches all the way to Japan, and while he is a good player, he’s been beaten at school before; although he’ll say it’s just him having a “bad day.”

Anyway, after he made yesterday’s proclamation of “I’ll still beat everyone here, even with a Trial Deck,” i’ve been excited to wipe that attitude from history, and show him what I can really do. After all, this is one of my only chances I have to win a semi-official tournament, since I can’t enter any professional ones without my own Buddy. Oh yeah, I don’t have a Buddy yet. Try as I might, i’ve never been able to pull a Buddy Rare from any booster packs, and none of the monsters who have travelled to Earth have offered me a contract. Almost of all my classmates have Buddies, but not me.

I’m not gonna let that pressure me, though! If I believe in my skills enough, and fight with a clear conscience, i’m sure I can win. It’s my first step to becoming a world-renowned fighter.

As soon as everyone had gathered, Mr. Castor explained the rules just for anyone who needed a refresher, and then broke down the bracket. The tournament was composed of 16 people, each match would be a best-of-one elimination. Meaning, in order to qualify for the finals, I had to win 3 games. Whether it be good or bad luck, i’m not too sure myself, both Mr. Castor and Leon had been placed in the other half of the bracket. Basically, if I did happen to make it to the finals, I would either be facing Mr. Castor or Leon for the gold, a scary thought either way. As I was contemplating whether I had a good shot or not, students began taking their places over the association football field, which Mr. Castor had kindly borrowed to conduct the tournament. As I was walking over to take my own place for the first round, it dawned on me that I really didn’t know anyone in the group substantially. Of course, we had talked and faced off in the occasional practice fight, but I still didn’t really know these guys that well, meaning it would be harder to pinpoint their strategies, especially when they’re not using their actual decks. Either way, my first fight was against Tony Rawley, a senior who was also apart of the association football team; your typical sports enthusiast, but he was actually a pretty nice guy. He chose Savage Steel, a pretty good fit for his usual play style and personality. Disruption would be key here for stopping some of his harder hitting monsters. After we both wished each other good luck, the fight would begin.

The generic gray prism that was the standard Core Deck Case stood near both of our sides. Since we were using Trial Decks, it was decided that we would use generic cases, as well, not that I had my own to begin with.

“Luminize! Savage Steel!” Tony called out since he was going first. I responded with my own short chant as we raised our flags as the fight began.

“I have the first move. Draw, charge and draw. First i’ll pay two gauge to equip **Hysteric Spear**.” Tony began as the card in his hand materialized into a red and silver spear with blue, swirling highlights. “Next, i’ll cast **Invigorating Breath** to gain four life.”

“It’s the first turn and you have 14 life?!” I asked, shocked at the revelation.

“Hold on, i’m done yet,” he continued. “How about another one! Cast, **Invigorating Breath**! This time I only gain 3 life since there’s already a copy in my drop zone.” I stood, appalled at how someone had gained almost as much life as a Dragon Zwei user in only the first turn. “Next i’m attacking with my spear!” He immediately leapt forward and thrust the weapon, forcing me down to 8 life. “That’s it for my turn.”

“It’s only been one turn and Tony already has double the life that I do, and he only had to make one attack! Can I really win this? Am I in over my head here?” I thought as I finished recovering. “No, I have to focus! Remember: clear conscience.” I stood up and prepared for my first turn. “My turn. Draw, charge and draw! I equip **Black Sword, Heartbreaker**.” A large, dark blade with a skull motif for the guard appeared in a flash. “I also call **Black Dragon, Tarandus** and **Purgatory Knights, Giant Scissor Dragon** to the left and right, respectively.” Tarandus materialized, a hunched-over beast with a wide assortment of spikes, plates, and red, glowing eyes, followed by a rather stout, portly monster, complete with a wide, evil grin and the frighteningly large scissors which earned him his name. “Giant Scissor, attack the fighter! Tarandus, follow him afterwards.”

“Give me all you got!” Tony replied, as both of my monsters did indeed give him a rather close-up taste of their appendages.

“Damn, he’s probably not even worried about losing life due to the current advantage. He’s most likely saving his defensive spells for when he really needs them. Oh well, not much I can do except keep pressuring him,” I thought. “Alright, i’ll finish my turn off with Heartbreaker.” The attack connected, and Tony dropped to 14 life.

“Heh, alright. It’s my move. Draw, charge and draw. I’ll start off by calling **Armorknight Ogre** to the right, and follow that up by calling **Armorknight Hellhound** to the left.” Tony announced, as two deformed creatures appeared, various guns and military weapons strapped all over their bodies.

“This is bad,” I thought. “I still haven’t drawn into any defensive spells, and he’s about to create another huge gap in life points. If I can’t finish him off soon, i’m not gonna last much longer.”

Tony quickly snapped me out of my monologue with his declaration. “Here we go! Hellhound, attack Tarandus.” The ensuing hail of bullets dispatched my monster in no time. “Ogre, attack the fighter.” The club was also very effective in taking care of something, that something being my life points. “And now i’ll attack!” Which succeeded in cutting me down to 4 life. “That’s my turn.”

“Rrr, this just got even worse. I was expecting for him to create a gap, but not for him to wipe out almost all of my offense, too. Not only does he still have double the amount of my life, but I now only have two attacks to make.” As I prepared for my next turn, I contemplated what would be the best approach. “ Now, I need both defensive spells and offensive capabilities. These next two draws better be good.”

“You sure like to think a lot, Matt,” Tony said, grabbing my attention. “Why don’t you get on with your turn so I can get and mine and win this game?”

“Hah, you wish Tony. If you wanted me to beat you so bad, all you had to do was ask.” I replied, putting on a pseudo act of toughness. “Alright, my turn. Draw, charge and draw!” Hm, this should help out quite a bit. “I call **Black Dragon, Dividers** to the left. I also retire Giant Scissor to call another Tarandus to the right.” Like Tarandus, Dividers was adorned with many sharp body parts, although he had green highlights and was more serpent-like. What was more important, however, was that Dividers had 3 critical, which, combined with Tarandus and my weapon, formed a intimidating critical total of 7, almost enough to even the playing field between me and Tony. “Okay, guys, let’s do this!” Or so I thought. But there was one problem. I wanted to cut down Tony’s offense, like he had done with mine, but Hellhound stood at six-thousand defense, which only Dividers could pierce, completing wasting his 3 critical. I decided to go with a safer course of action. “First i’ll attack Ogre with Heartbreaker.” The three-thousand power was just enough to send the beast to the drop zone. “Tarandus and Dividers, attack the fighter!” Both dragons leapt forward and struck Tony, surprisingly, bringing him down to 7 life. “I end my turn.”

“Huh, not bad Matt. You dealt me some damage while also making sure I can’t finish you off. That is, _if_ I don’t draw another monster in these next two draws.” Tony said, cocking his in a showy manner. “Well, let’s see what happens! Draw, charge… and draw!” We both stood for what felt like an eternity before he continued. “I call another **Armorknight Hellhound** to the right!” The armored beast appeared, right as _my_ hopes disappeared. I couldn’t allow that to show, though, so I put on a stupid grin, trying to bluff about having a defensive spell. Tony thought it over for another moment, then commenced his assault. “My first Hellhound will attack Dividers! My second will attack Tarandus! And i’ll attack the fighter!” His triple threat wiped my board, and left me with only 2 life. But, I succeeded in living, that was what mattered. “That’s it,” He concluded.

“It all comes to this,” I thought. “Either I finish him here, or he finishes me next turn. Everything depends on these next two cards.” I called out what very well might have been one of my last phrases of the game, and of this tournament. “Draw!” But luckily… “Charge and… draw!” It wasn’t. My eyes grew wide with excitement. We both had not used a defensive spell for the entire game, is it possible we both never drew into one? Whether it’s true or not, I had to take this chance; if only one of my attacks gets blocked, then it’s over. “I pay two gauge to equip **Death Claw, Grim Reaper**!” A vicious, three-pronged scythe replaced the sword from earlier. “I also pay another two gauge to call **There is Only Death, Dalleon** to the right.” The thin, snake-like beast flashed in, with several bony appendages, looking as twisted as his namesake. “Last off, I call **Death Ruler, Alea** to the left!” What followed was a gold, floating skeleton brandishing an entire casino in his hands; cards, chips, you name it.

“Ha! Sorry, but it looks like you’re one damage short, better luck next time!” Tony taunted.

“Maybe, maybe not. We’ll see, won’t we? Alea, let’s link attack the fighter!” My shout and subsequent charge excited the skeleton, who proceeded to throw a myriad of sharp playing cards, straight out of a Christopher Nolan movie. Our combined assault brought Tony down to 2 life, so far so good. “Dalleon, attack the Hellhound on the left!”

“Blah, blah, go ahead. Not even Spectral Strike will save you, Matt.” Tony replied, yawning for even more emphasis.

“I think you’re quite mistaken, Tony, because Dalleon’s Spectral Strike is a little bit different. His deals _two_ damage, unlike the average one!”

“Wait, what?! Hold on, I take that back! I have a response!” He scrambled to throw up a card. Fortunately, the response window had already closed as Dalleon’s attack resolved, and a purple orb spun towards Tony, causing a small explosion which sealed the game.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora_

Apparently, our match was the last one of the round, so everyone else was watching as we finished up. Soon afterwards, Mr. Castor got the second round underway. My next opponent would be Katelyn Hunt, a girl who was also a student aide during one of her class periods. She had decided to use Ninja Onslaught, meaning this next match might get a little tricky.

“Luminize! Dark Pulse!” I called out. I was going first this time, so as soon as we raised our flags, I began my turn. “Draw. Charge and draw. Let’s start off strong; I pay two gauge to equip **Death Claw, Grim Reaper** , and attack the fighter!” The swing took three damage from Katelyn, making my first turn a success.

“You’re pretty good, Matt!” Katelyn shouted, before readying herself for her turn. She always went out of her way to compliment people, so it was nice to see she kept the same sportsmanship, even during a fight. “But let’s see if you can handle _my_ turn. Draw, charge and draw. First I call **Stealth Ninja, Kirikakure Saizo** to the left, and then **Wandering Ninja, Tobikato** to the center.” Immediately, two ninja clad in brown and blue gear appeared out of smoke clouds. Tobikato looked like a traditional ninja, while Saizo was little more teched-out.

“Hm, the center? Usually that space is reserved for Tsukikage, or left open. Does she not have a weapon yet?” I thought, while preparing for her assault.

“Alright, Tobikato, attack the fighter!” The ninja jumped and hurled a kunai at me, evening the playing field with Katelyn. “You’re next, Saizo!”

“Not so fast!” I responded. “I pay one gauge to cast **Sudden DEATH!** Tobikato is destroyed!”

“Alright, fine. I end my turn.” Katelyn huffed in frustration, looking slightly disappointed.

“My turn. Draw, charge and draw.” I began. “I call **Black Dragon, Dividers** to the right, and **Black Dragon, Death Gracia** to the left!” Dividers appeared, followed by a new member. Death Gracia was purple in color; soon enough we’d have every dragon under the rainbow at this pace. “Gracia, attack Tobikato.”

“Oh no, I see right through you!” Katelyn brimmed with confidence. “I cast **Ninja Arts, Steel Ball**! Tobikato gains three-thousand power, defense, and Counterattack!” The latter ability was proven, as Tobikato dodged the dragon’s claws, and responded with a swift kick which sent him flying.

“Damn,” I thought. “Not only did she destroy my monster and protect her own, but she also prevented the Spectral Strike damage. She’s actually pretty good.”

“Alright then, Dividers, how about you attack Tobikato!”

“That’s not happening, either!” Katelyn responded. “I pay one gauge to cast **Demon Way, Noroihikagami**. The attack is nullified, and Dividers is destroyed.”

“Again?!” I exclaimed as purple smoke enveloped Dividers, which made vanish in the blink of an eye. “Grr, i’ll just attack Tobikato myself!” I leapt forward and swung the scythe, which finally managed to connect with the ninja. “That’s the end.”

“Ha, my turn!” Katelyn now sounded even more excited than before. “Draw, and charge and draw. First I pay two gauge to cast **Art of Item Blasting** , which destroys your Grim Reaper!” I didn’t even have time to say anything before dynamite, which appeared attached to my weapon, exploded and soon there was nothing left in my hands. “Next I pay another gauge to call **Lethal Sword Ninja, Zantetsu** to the right!” The following ninja was quite masculine, and he had a large sword slung over his shoulders. “Zantetsu, attack the fighter!” The sword proved effective, as my life dropped to five.

“It’s my turn. Draw, charge and draw. I pay two gauge to call **Purgatory Knights, Malice Force Dragon** to the right!” I shouted, as a massive dragon, armored in black plates with gold trim, typical of the Purgatory Knights archetype, landed to my side. “When Malice Force enters the field, he automatically destroys a monster.”

“Hm, not bad. It seems like you have some tricks up your sleeve, as well.” Katelyn complimented me, as her ninja was vaporized by Malice Force’s skill.

“Malice Force, attack the fighter.” I continued. The attack put Katelyn at four life. “I end my turn.”

“Alright,” Katelyn started. “Here I go. Draw, charge and draw.” A look of annoyance was evident on her face. “Mm, I call **Electro Ninja, Electric Teru** to the center.” A young ninja, armed with what looked to be electric branding irons appear from the card. “Teru, attack the fighter.” Upon hit, Katelyn continued. “Whenever Teru deals damage, he increases my gauge by one. That’s all for me.”

“She must not have good hand cards.” I thought. “This is my chance to capitalize on the situation! All I need is another weapon.”

“Alright, draw! Charge and… draw!” My draw gave me exactly what I needed. “Yes! First I cast **Death Damage** to destroy Electric Teru, then I equip **Black Sword, Heartbreaker**!” As I was equipping my weapon, a skeletal hand shot out and squeezed Teru until he turned into orange particles. “Let’s do this! Malice Force: attack the fighter!” The attack was successful, and Katelyn was only left with one life. “Now it’s my turn, take this!” I said as I leapt forward, and swung the blade forcefully.

Katelyn sighed heavily. “Well, I guess I just ran out of steam. Good game, Matt.” She said as the final attack brought her to zero life.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora_

After me and Katelyn shook hands, we waited for the other fights to finish before we started round three. I had managed to win it pretty easily, facing a kid who didn’t seem all that thrilled to fight. Perhaps his parents were forcing him to take part in an extracurricular, and this was the only one left? Either way, I had managed to make it to the finals, and so… had Leon. He beat Mr. Castor in the semifinals, but I hadn’t managed to observe any of it. That meant I didn’t get any intel on Leon’s deck. I was going in blind. In a surprise announcement, Mr. Castor told us the finals would occur tomorrow, and that we all deserved a break after some exhilarating fights. He dismissed us and I headed for home. At least that left me some time to get prepared. This was the final match, the first chance I ever had at winning a tournament. If I could overcome Leon, then that would mean I beat an almost national-level fighter! I had to prepare thoroughly. Because tomorrow would be the first step towards achieving my dream. I had to win, at all costs!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Marx here! This is going to be my first fanfiction ever, so I hope you'll go easy on me. I've never really thought about writing stories before, but a bunch of my teachers have told i'm a really good writer before. And after reading some amazing works, I thought why not give it a shot. So, here we are! I'm a really big fan BuddyFight, and after reading Karras Academy by GoshdarnRabbit, I was so inspired to write my own story. So, if you haven't read that yet: go check it out! Huge props to the person behind, it's a really engaging story.
> 
> Anyway, feedback is appreciated greatly. After writing out this first chapter, I really enjoyed it. And it only makes me want to improve as a writer, so anything you guys can help me with would be awesome! As for a schedule, I don't have a solid roadmap for where I want to take this story yet, so updates will be... sporadic at best. But I do have a multitude of ideas on how I want the characters to progress, and some bits and pieces of plot for the next few chapters. Either way, I hope you enjoy, and i'll see you in the next one!


	2. School Tournament Part 2

“Did you really think you could beat me, Matt? A no-name fighter with only three real games of experience under his belt, compared to someone who has made it to a national tournament?”

I stood on all fours, supporting myself with my hands and knees. I was sweating profusely and panting heavily, which only seemed to make the statement ring truer than ever.

Leon towered over me, a slim blade resting on his shoulder in a cocky manner, as if he was deliberating whether it was even worth it to finish me off or not. “I can’t believe that you actually have a dream of becoming the strongest fighter alive; seriously, get real. You don’t even have a Buddy!” He cackled like your stereotypical anime villain, throwing his head back for even more emphasis.

But was he even wrong? I mean, what _was_ I thinking? Did I really expect to beat a national level fighter with no prior experience to his level of competition before?

“Well, no matter. It’s all said and done with now. At least it will be with this card:” He threw his hand up in the air, which seemed to be clutching a card that was continuously glowing brighter and brighter with each passing moment. “Final Phase!”

At this point, I had shifted to sitting regularly on the ground, and was now trying to scoot away, as if I could somehow run away from the fight. “No… no no no no NO!”

When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I was sitting upright in my bed, sunlight breaking through the small crevice in my curtains and streaking across my face like a precision laser.

“Hahh… hah… hah…” I strained to fill my lungs with more air before looking down at my hand. Shaking. They always say that dreams feel exactly like real life, but I would never have imagined that they could have such drastic residual effects. While swinging my feet over my bed so they could touch the floor, I looked over to the Dark Pulse Trial Deck that laid on my computer desk; the only scrap of proof that brought legitimacy to me being a BuddyFighter. I had no Buddy to call my partner, no deck tuned to fit my play style, no nothing. I walked over and picked it up, the Darkness Dragon World flag at the top. I was a phony, a sham, nothing more.

“Man, why did I even sign up for this tournament?” I set it down and threw myself back on to my bed. There was no school today, and the tournament wouldn’t begin until the afternoon. “‘Think positively,’ what a joke. As if a positive attitude could help me defeat someone like Leon.”

My mind, as if trying to encourage my own body, remembered stories I had heard about BuddyFight in Japan. Legendary fighters, like Gao Mikado and Tasuku Ryuenji, who were so powerful they could just _will_ themselves to draw the cards they needed, like some “heart of the cards” crap. Fighters like that, whose spirits and bravado were so strong that their bonds created new cards out of thin air.

But I wasn’t them. I was a highschooler in America, participating in a small class tournament, living in one of the same cookie-cutter, one size fits all cities that fifty percent of the whole damn country lived in. I wasn’t special.

Even so, stories like that gave me hope that I could become, well, _something_ at least. That’s right. I can’t just stop believing in those stories. I can’t stop now, not when i’m so close. If there’s even one little speck of hope for me, I have to take a chance and grasp it with all I can!

“I can’t just sit here and mope, there’s training to do! No matter how little time I have, no matter how little skill I have, no matter if i’m the most inexperienced person playing the game, i’m not going to stop here! Every bit of training matters; if I can get even just a tiny bit better, and pull every last bit of luck I have out of my body, then i’m going to do it! Let’s go!” I yelled as I threw my fist up in excitement.

My confidence had returned. And now, it was time to make it count.

“Okay, i’ve done all that I can. I think i’m ready.” As I wiped the sweat from my face with a nearby dishrag, I decided to go over all that I did to prepare in the last few hours.

First, I analyzed every card in the Dark Pulse Trial Deck and wrote down every single use they could possibly serve. Whether it was offense, defense, disruption, stun tactics, lockdown, I got it all. Second, thanks to the various social media outlets of both the school and the previous tournament participants, I had managed to learn what deck Leon was going to be using. If what I read was correct, Leon was using Trial Deck 3, Dragonic Force for the tournament. Dragonic Force was inspired by the acts of Tasuku Ryuenji, the resident wonder-boy BuddyFight police officer over in Japan. Ergo, it mainly focused on his Dragon World deck that utilized Jackknife Dragon and his many forms. Although, the actual product itself didn’t include many Jackknife cards, at least, nowhere near enough for an actual competitive Jackknife deck. It was more of an Armordragon deck with a slight focus on Jackknife, meaning it was going to be very offense heavy. Luckily, my choice of Dark Pulse gave me a fair amount of disruption that could make it possible to prevent Jackknife from attacking, or just outright destroy him. But, I still couldn’t shake this feeling of anxiety hanging over my head.

“Leon knows i’m using Dark Pulse, so what if he knows that i’m going to try and disrupt him? He could already know my entire thought process!” I shook my head to rid myself of those thoughts. “No, I can’t falter here. I have a gameplan, I just need to follow through with it, and adapt to the situation at hand.”

By the time I had finished, I noticed the time hit exactly noon. Mr. Castor said the tournament was going to begin at one, so it wouldn’t hurt to arrive a bit early and maybe get some advice from my classmates. Once I grabbed something quick to eat, I got on my motor scooter and drove off for the school.

By the time I had arrived at the school, which took about 10 minutes or so, there was already a healthy crowd gathered around the association football field. Apparently, Mr. Castor had informed the entire school that the finals was taking place today, and the announcement generated a fairly large crowd. Despite the BuddyFight course only housing a dozen or so students, there were still a lot of people who played casually, and this was probably a good chance for them to witness a tournament match in person. I got off my ride and strolled over to the rest of the course group; although, in passing, I had heard some of the students talking. Seems all bets were on Leon taking this match easily, figures. I wasn’t really mad, though, I was never one to boast about my achievements or make myself known throughout the school. It certainly helped that I didn’t have many achievements to boast about to begin with.

Either way, idle chatter kept up for a few minutes until everyone saw Leon’s car pull in. As if on cue, everyone became quiet while he walked over to his side of the field and readied himself, even though it was hardly one o’clock, yet.

“Hey, Mr. Castor, can we just start the tournament already? Everyone pretty much knows what the outcome is going to be, anyway.”

Mr. Castor sighed. “Well, I guess since we’re all here, it wouldn’t hurt to start a bit earlier than the allocated time slot, if that’s alright with everybody?” The students responded with a cheer of general approval. “Okay then! Matt, if you please, take the field.”

I should mention that Mr. Castor has experienced Leon’s attitude one too many times before. After trying frivolously to change it for the better, he decided it wasn’t worth the effort and quit a long time ago. The sigh is now his usual response to his antics. Well, at least he quit while he was ahead.

“This is it.” I thought. “No turning back now, time to make it or break it.” As I took my place on the other side of the stage, Mr. Castor made his way in between us, albeit far off the side of the stage so he wouldn’t get in the way of the monsters.

“This is the final round of the BuddyFight extracurricular tournament. Everyone has fought long and hard, but these two particular fighters went harder than anybody else. Now, through a final battle, we’ll see who’s truly the strongest of them all! The match is a best-of-one between Matthew Pandora and Leon Aeolus, are the fighters ready?”

“Yes.” I responded.

“Naturally.” Leon retorted.

“Alright then. Now, a coin toss will determine who goes first. Leon, since you got here last, please call out heads or tails as I throw the coin in the air. If you call it correctly, you choose who goes first. If it’s incorrect, Matt will choose. Ready?” Leon nodded. “And… toss!”

“Tails.”

Mr. Castor caught the coin in his left hand, which then slammed down on the back of his right, which was closed in a fist. “The result is… tails! Leon, would you like to go first?”

“Nah, i’ll give it to Pandora over there.” He scoffed off the suggestion as quickly as possible, meaning he really wanted to go second. Not a bad idea, I suppose.

“Okay, Matthew is going first. Matthew, please luminize to start things off.”

“Luminize, Dark Pulse!”

“Dragonic Force, luminize!”

“Buddy… Fight!” The whole student body joined Mr. Castor in the chant. They were just as excited as he was.

“Raise the flag!” We both shouted in unison.

“Darkness Dragon World!”

“Dragon World.”

“Alright, my move. Draw, charge and draw. I’ll call **Black Dragon, Dividers** to the right, and i’ll end my turn by having him attack the fighter!”

“Ha, not a bad first attack for someone like you.” Leon taunted as his life dropped to seven. “But now it’s my turn. Draw, charge and draw. I call **Latale Shield Dragon** to the left; I also pay one gauge to call **Jackknife Dragon** to the right. Equip: **Dragonblade, Dragofearless**! Finally, I cast **Dragonic Charge** to gain two gauge.

“Damn, a full field of monsters and he has a decent item equipped, yet he only had to pay one gauge. He means business.” I thought as Leon’s cards flooded his field. First was Latale Shield, which, as the name implied, was an orange bipedal dragon who held some sort of targe-like shield out in front of him with both hands. Despite seeming like a defensive card, two critical was nothing to scoff at, as represented by the large spike attached to the front of his shield.

Next, of course, was the legendary Jackknife Dragon, wielded most notably by Tasuku Ryuenji himself during his earlier days. Despite being such a recognizable monster, there wasn’t much to his appearance; he was a bipedal green dragon, with bits and pieces of gray armor equipped. His most prominent feature, obviously, was the large, well, knife attached to his helmet.

Last was Dragofearless, which was more of a long dagger than a sword, but i’m not judging. It was a curved blade, with an intricate red guard. Pretty simple, but it still had two critical.

“Hey Pandora, why don’t you get out of your own head, ‘cause me and Jack are doing a link attack!” Leon’s cry did exactly that, as I saw him leap in the air while the dragon rushed at my side.

“Grr, I can’t block this; Midnight Shadow can’t nullify link attacks. He knows this, which is why he’s incorporating the three critical Jackknife in his attack and not Latale.

“Now, Latale, end the turn with an attack on Dividers!”

I wasn’t going to let him get rid of one of my strongest monsters, though. “Cast! **Midnight Shadow**!”

“Draw, charge and draw.” I took a deep breath while thinking about my next move.

“He’s certainly no pushover.” I thought. “He knows how to guarantee damage on me, and he knows what my strongest cards are. I need to get rid of that Jackknife before things get ugly.

“First I equip **Black Sword, Heartbreaker**. Then I call **Purgatory Knights, Blackknife Dragon** to the left.” The white dragon popped out as he made his debut. Despite sounding similar, he wasn’t actually a corruption or a Jackknife Dragon turned evil. Clothed in typical Purgatory Knights colors, he had very insect-like wings, and no head-blade to call his own. Still, I needed another monster on board.

“Alright Dividers, attack Jackknife.” Although I hate wasting monsters with high critical, it would take link attack from both me and Blackknife to pierce through Jack’s six-thousand defense, which would only result in the loss of more damage.

“Hahaha, you really don’t think I see what you’re doing? Cast, **Green Dragon Shield**! I nullify the attack and gain one life.”

“Crap!” I thought. “I knew he had the shield, but that’s the only card in his deck that can definitively stop an attack; I wasn’t expecting him to actually have it in his hand when there’s only four copies.”

I couldn’t waste any more damage, I just had to hope I could pressure him and last until my next turn. “Blackknife, attack the fighter.” A successful hit, so far so good. “And now it’s my turn. Take this!” Now it was just time to hold out.

“I’m finishing this right now!”

“What?!” My reaction couldn’t even display the amount of shock and utter dumbfoundedness that just ran through me. Not only was Leon confident enough to announce his assured victory out loud, but he did it when I still had four cards left in my hand. What kind of strategy did he have?

“Prepare yourself, Pandora, because this is the moment that I crush your dreams. Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge to evolve Jackknife Dragon into **Jackknife “Thunder Storm**!” But that’s only the beginning!”

“Wait, why would he call Thunder Storm?” I thought. “If his objective is to take me out this turn, what use would his skill even have? I don’t have a monster in my center, so he should be focusing on dealing me more damage. This doesn’t make any sense.”

As I was mulling over his plan, Jackknife underwent his evolution. His armor sprouted rigid, blue crystals all over, and his iconic knife was replaced with a jagged, yellow, and blue thunderbolt resembling his previous armament.

“Latale Shield, attack the fighter!” There was no time to think, however, as I had to keep my focus on surviving Leon’s attacks.

“I pay one gauge to cast **Sudden DEATH!** to destroy Latale.”

“No matter. Jackknife, attack the fighter!”

“Cast! **Midnight Shadow**!”

“You’re not escaping; i’ll just attack you myself!”

While I was forced to take this hit, I did accomplish what I set out to do. I survived. But if I didn’t defeat him during my next turn, I was a goner. I could just think about that after my next two draws, though.

“ _Final Phase!_ ”

“No, it can’t be. You didn’t actually draw your impact, did you?” At this point I was in sheer shock. I had pulled off what I thought to be the near impossible, and now I was being sucker punched for even having a shred of confidence.

Leon shrieked with laughter at my comment. “Ha! You’re so dense. Why do you think I chose to evolve Jackknife, knowing the types of counter destruction that your deck has?

“So that was it.” I thought. “He evolved Jackknife so he could be sure he would stay on the field, in order to fulfill the conditions for his impact. But, that still doesn’t make sense. **Death Damage** isn’t a counter spell, and **Sudden DEATH!** can only destroy size 1 or lower monsters. Maybe he just forgot?

“It was an extra precaution, just in case of unforeseen circumstances. But it doesn’t matter now, because you’re finished! I pay four gauge and two life to cast!”

Immediately, both Leon and Jack started glowing, and an enormous blade with the head of a dragon materialized behind them.

“ ** _Dragonic… Punisher!!_** ”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Leon Aeolus._

The electronic voice from the Core Deck Case was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! Marx here once again with another chapter. A little bit shorter than last time, but that's probably because there's only one fight in this chapter. This time, I took care in fleshing out some more details, hence the beginning dream sequence, and I also tried to create some unique dialogue between the two fighters, this time. Hope it payed off in the end, let me know what you think! As always, feedback is always welcome, it's what helps me improve.
> 
> I really don't have too much to say this time. So, I guess i'll leave it off here. Once again, this story was heavily inspired by GoshdarnRabbit's BuddyFight - Karras Academy, so make sure you go read it! It's a very exciting read, and very hard to put down once you get started. Thanks again, see ya!


	3. A New Revelation

Leon walked down one of the school hallways, shoes audibly clacking against the tile floor with every step. He was currently on his way to the nurse’s office, where Matt was currently resting. The hallway was deserted, as it was after school, and it was filled with an eerie silence, save for the aforementioned clacking. Leon knew that Matt had been relocated to the nurse’s office after the tournament; after all, he was the one who helped bring him there. Although he had been trying his damnedest to win, he hadn’t actually expected Matt to faint on the spot. Excluding the whole fainting fiasco, the aftermath of the tournament was relatively tame; Mr. Castor shooed everyone off after congratulating them on their efforts, except for one student who Leon hadn’t bothered to learn the name of, and proceeded to carry Matt off to the nurse’s office. Although the nurse was out, it was definitely better to put him in a bed to rest rather than lying him down on a table or sitting him up in a chair.

However, that wasn’t the only thing Leon was thinking about. After everyone had been sent off, Mr. Castor pulled Leon and the other student in, and told them that he had a big announcement to make regarding the prize for winning the tournament, but that they would have to wait until Matt awoke. The prize was of no concern to him, he didn’t join the tournament to win a prize, what baffled him was why Mr. Castor wanted to tell Matt and the other student when they weren’t the ones who won; exactly what purpose did they serve?

He was broken out of his thoughts by a commanding voice. “If you’d stop fretting, maybe we could walk a little faster? We must accomplish our goal, as soon as possible.”

Leon looked to his side; he had almost forgotten his faithful companion. Strutting beside him was a small gray dragon, adorned in black armor with numerous gold trimmings and highlights; on his head was a helmet affixed with a large bayonet-like blade; on his back he slung two intricate swords with tips reminiscent of a shovel, rested into each of the hilts was a gray gem.

“Sorry Demios, but I just can’t help but be confused about our current situation.” Leon started picking up the pace, which Demios followed. “Either way, it’d be a good idea to check on Matt even without Mr. Castor’s announcement. It’d be troublesome if our battle had any lasting negative effects.

Demios lightly chuckled at the remark. “Hah, doubtful. Although the boy may not have a Buddy, he still put up quite a decent fight. Had you not ended the fight so soon, you may have had to get serious.”

“At this stage? Not a chance. He has untapped potential, but it’s just that: untapped. Without a proper catalyst, a Buddy, he will not grow beyond his current abilities.”

“Indeed. However, it is nothing we need concern ourselves with. After we complete our task here, we can continue on with our mission.”

“You said it.”

Without even realizing it, the two’s conversation had carried them right to the front door of the nurse’s office. Leon gave a quick test pull, and found that the door was unlocked. He promptly opened the door all of the way and headed for the back of the room, where the beds were, although not forgetting to close the door behind him and his companion.

I found myself once again kneeling on the ground, using my arms for support.

“What was it, again, that I told you, Matt? Oh yes, I believe it was me acknowledging that you’re never going to beat me. And where exactly do we stand currently?”

“Ah crap. Not again.” I thought. Leon stood over me, the same curved blade hanging over his shoulder, the one I now knew as Dragofearless. I had already lost the match, and yet this same dream still seemed to haunt me.

“Oh well, it’s not like it matters. Not anymore. This puts me one step closer to my goal, a goal you’ll never see accomplished, anyway. So I guess this is goodbye.”

“A goal? What is he talking about?” This didn’t make any sense. What does winning a small class tournament have to do with accomplishing a goal?

“ ** _Dragonic… Punisher!!_** ”

This time, I spoke audibly. Frighteningly loud, at that. “No! Not again! Nonononono!”

And just like that, I jolted out of my resting place, just before the aptly named sword crashed down. I felt cloth both beneath and above me; apparently, I had been placed in a bed, which meant I was most likely in the nurse’s office.

“From the looks of it, you must’ve just woken up from a horrible nightmare.”

Ironically, that voice shocked me even more than the nightmare did. Looking to my right, I found the very subject of my nightmare staring right back at me. Leon: laxly sitting in a chair set up next to the side of my current bed. Beside him, his notorious Buddy stood, pretty much mimicking the same attitude as his human companion. **The Foundation of Purgatory Knights, Lord Demios** , a Buddy that had grown popular due to his temporary bond with Tasuku Ryuenji, although this Demios was an evolution of the original, and not the exact same Demios Sword Dragon everybody had heard of.

My astonishment had lasted so long that Leon spoke up to break the silence. “Sorry for making you faint, by the way. I didn’t realize I was putting such intense psychological pressure on you.”

Once again, his words left me more confused than anything. Was Leon really speaking those words? I had never heard him speak so candidly before, it sounded like a whole new person.

“However, I want you to understand: I needed to win that battle, at all costs.”

I had recovered enough to start speaking. “Wait, you _needed_ to? Is this referring to your goal or whatever it was you called it?”

Leon visibly frowned at my inquiry, but he did his best to hide it. “Perhaps, perhaps not. I don’t know how _you_ know about it, but I guess we’ll leave it at that. Anyway, apparently Mr. Castor has announcement for the both of us, along with one other person. Supposedly, it’s about the prize for the winner of tournament. Why he’s bringing two runner-ups into the conversation, I don’t exactly know yet. I’d figured i’d wait here for him.”

Rather than try to ask more questions, I decided to just go along with it. “Alright then. It’s no skin off my back.”

After that, Leon stopped talking. We waited in silence for a few minutes before I heard the door creak open once more. Entering were Mr. Castor, and one of the other students in our course. I didn’t really know much about him; if I recall correctly, he kept to himself most of the time.

Once our eccentric instructor saw me, he spoke up. “Ah, Matt, good, you’re finally awake. Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s begin.”

It was Leon’s turn to be confused, this time. “Mr. Castor, before we begin, may I ask why you’ve gathered all of us here? These two didn’t win the tournament, what do they have to do with the prize?”

“Haha! Leon, i’m glad you asked. As a matter of fact, both Matt and Seth are very important to this particular announcement, as are you. Please, give me a moment to explain.” Mr. Castor gestured for Leon to sit back down, as he had risen out of his chair to ask his question. He also tilted his head to the side and gave a sarcastic grin, for extra effect.”

Leon sighed. “Very well.”

“Great! Now, i’m sure both of you are wondering why you’re here, as well?” Mr. Castor gestured to the both of us, and we responded with nods. “Well, the truth is, there is no prize for the tournament. At least, not in the way that you’d imagine. Ergo, not in the conventional way. You see, today I saw everyone try their hardest in that tournament. Every fighter was pushing themselves to their limits, hoping to grasp that one lucky chance. However, you three in particular went _beyond_ that. I believe, personally, that you three can achieve great things, with a little bit of hard work, of course. But, all you three have your own weaknesses. You each excel in various things, and lack in others. So, here’s my proposal: how about all three of you form a team? Think about it, if you three can effectively cover each other’s weaknesses, then you essentially have no weaknesses at all!”

Leon rose out of his chair once more. “A team?! Are you joking!?” He swung his hand forward to point at me. “With _him_? He doesn’t even have a Buddy!”

Mr. Castor held his arms up in a passive matter. “Now, now, let’s stay calm. Well, yes, it is true that Matt doesn’t have a Buddy right now, that doesn’t mean he can’t get one.”

I decided to add my own two cents to the situation. “Mr. Castor, i’m kind of in agreement with Leon on this. I mean, i’ve been opening pack after pack, and i’ve never been able to pull a Buddy Rare. If I haven’t been able to before, what makes you think I can do so now?”

Mr. Castor put his hand on my shoulder, a classic gesture of a teacher. “Matt, you shouldn’t sell yourself so short. Remember what I said earlier? BuddyFight is all about jumping forward, and grasping that lucky chance with all of your being. Trust me, if you gain the confidence to do so, I believe, without a doubt, you’ll find a Buddy who deserves you in no time. And you’ll deserve him just as much.”

Mr. Castor’s words made me go silent. It was just like him to pull some awe-inspiring speech out of his back pocket at the last second. But even if they were just that, last second, they still had that powerful weight to them, that made you just want to believe in them.

Leon quickly knocked out of my stupor with a very overblown sigh. “If you really think this can work, then I guess i’ll go with it. I suppose you might be able to help me further my own mission.”

“Great! You three are going to do great things, I can feel it!”

Seth finally decided to break his personal silence, and I wondered why I had never heard him speak up before. “It’s good to be working with you guys! We’re going to make the best, and likely most eccentric, team ever! But no matter! We’ll climb to the top with our own two, well, six hands! And we’ll become the best of the best!” He threw his fist up in the air, just adding to his bombastic personality. Perhaps he only likes to speak up about things he’s passionate about. Either way, he was a kind-hearted person, and I could tell that he loved the game. All-in-all, he was alright.

Leon was left pretty astonished by Seth’s exuberance, as well, but he was probably thinking the same thing that I was. “By the way, Mr. Hype Train, you’ve never really fought much in our classes, at least with your own deck. What or who is your Buddy, anyway?

“Don’t worry, you’ll meet him soon enough! But for now, i’d like to keep him secret.”

“Fair enough.”

“Well alright,” Mr. Castor began, “looks like you guys are all set! Except for one thing: a team name. What do you want to call yourselves?”

The inquiry elicited a chuckle from Leon. “A team name, huh? Well, that’s a pretty tough nut to crack. What do you guys think?” He gestured towards me and Seth in a questioning manner.

We both thought it over for a minute, before coming to the same conclusion: we didn’t know.

Leon could tell our results from the looks on our faces. “We don’t have to come up with it right now. We won’t use it until we enter some official tournaments, anyway, so don’t go frying your brain over thinking about it.” He thought it over for a minute. “Tell you what, how about we meet up during the next practice session and see what we all come up with, okay? I’ve gotta be getting home, anyway.”

Mr. Castor looked at the clock. “Ah, yes, you are quite right about that. Well, goodnight everyone! I hope your efforts bear fruit! Never lose sight of your goals.” And with that, Mr. Castor left the office, leaving our newly-formed entourage alone in the room.

I quickly bade my farewells to both Seth and Leon and started on my own path towards home, as well. Upon exiting the main lobby, I noticed the area had grown considerably darker; not only was the sun beginning to set, but it was also being partially covered up by some large clouds. Needless to say, it didn’t give me much solace in hoping to get a Buddy.

However, maybe I wasn’t thinking hard enough. As I was walking down one of the main streets, I kept on hearing this buzzing noise; like a phone left on vibrate, but turned up to 11. Scanning my surroundings, and checking my own phone, I couldn’t find the source of the noise, yet it felt oddly close. That’s when I noticed bush that seemed to be a glowing a tiny bit. Moving it aside, I found a small device which I had never seen before. It looked like one of those old Tamagotchi toys from the 90s, but it had several more buttons and keys on it. I started fiddling with it out of pure curiosity.

“Hey! Watch which buttons you’re pressing there, pal!”

The sudden made me jump so much that the object almost flew out of my hands. Upon re-inspecting it, there was a small blue and yellow sprite on the screen, reminiscent of an 8-bit video game character.

“What the _hell_? Were you the one who said that?” I spoke to the small man, feeling completely stupid in the process.

“Of course I was! Do you see anyone else around you?”

Out of morbid curiosity, I looked around, and sure enough, there was no one else near me.

“Well, no, not exactly. Anyway, what were you doing the bush, uh…”

“Net. Call me Net. To answer your question, I was left here when my soon-to-be Buddy decided he didn’t like me very much, so he threw me away after he drew me from the pack.”

I was astonished at his statement, and I felt my blood beginning to boil. “What?! You’ve gotta be joking! What kind of person just up and abandons someone like that, let alone a Buddy?”

Net must’ve detected my slowly rising anger, because he shrugged in an attempt to make his predicament seem like no big deal. “Eh, it happens. You’re not going to like everyone you meet, especially when it comes to humans and monsters. Even if his method was a little… barbaric, to say the least.”

While it didn’t calm me down that much, it did help a little. In a moment of silence, Net put his hand on his chin in a thinking-like motion. After a while, he spoke up again. “You know what, how about you? Would you like to be my Buddy?”

I almost fell back at the question. “ _Me_? Why do you think i’d make a good Buddy?”

“Haha, good question. I don’t know, it’s just something about you. I can tell that your heart’s really in the game, that you love this game almost more than anything else in the world. I think we’d make an awesome team. So, what do you say?”

Now it was my turn to think things over for a moment. Just a moment, however, because the answer was as clear as day. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Net. By the way, i’m Matt; Matt Pandora.”

“Glad to hear it, Matt. My full name is **Computer Warrior, Netman**. Just a heads-up, this phone-like device is called a Personal Digital Assistant, or PDA, for short. They used to be real big before smartphones and the like came around. It’s also, technically, my chibi form. So, you can just slide it in your pocket like you would a phone, and i’ll let you’ll know if something’s up with a nice little ringtone.”

“Wow, cool! Sounds good to me, Net.” I was about to comply with his offer before I thought of something. “Oh yeah, Net. Do you have any other friends? Like, other monsters in your archetype?”

Net’s sprite beamed immediately. “Yeah! As a matter of fact, I do!” Then, he slouched momentarily. “Unfortunately, my ex-Buddy failed any of them from his packs. So, we’ll have to go find them on our own.”

“Hey, no worries. I’ve been meaning to pick up some new packs, anyway. So, let’s go!” And with Net’s nod, I slid the PDA into my pocket and set off for the card shop, speeding up so I could get there before they closed.

Maybe Mr. Castor was right, maybe I did manage to grasp that lucky chance. Either way, I could tell my life was about to get a lot more exciting with Net by me side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Marx here with a new chapter! Sorry for taking so long to write this one, I was experiencing a bit writer's block, you could, when trying to write this one. Well, that, and I had taken an almost two week long break after finishing the second chapter. Regardless, it's out now, so let me know what you think!
> 
> As always, feel free to leave criticism of any kind, it's greatly appreciated to help me improve. And, make sure to check out BuddyFight - Karras Academy by GoshdarnRabbit if you haven't already. I think that's pretty much it, so i'll see you next time!
> 
> (Hopefully with a much quicker chapter!)


	4. Clash! Leon vs. Seth!

My alarm clock must have rung at least five times before I had woken up enough to shut it off. As I cracked open my eyes, the only thing that was visible was the bright sunlight cutting in-between the curtains.

After I had gotten Net, we ran around the whole city, visiting various card shops. We bought every single Heroes & Adventurers booster set we could buy. I had all but burned up my savings, but it was well worth it for being able to obtain some of Net’s friends.

Unfortunately, many of our efforts didn’t bear fruit. Upon tearing open said booster packs, we were met with quite a fair bit of disappointment. While we did find a few more Computer monsters, we didn’t find any more copies of Net, and we also didn’t obtain that many spells. All-in-all, we didn’t have enough cards to put together a decent Computer deck.

“Rrrgh! This is so frustrating! How are we supposed to fight like this? Knowing Leon and Seth, they probably already have fully decked-out, well, decks! In order to complete my deck, i’m gonna have to throw in some generic Hero World support. And that’s definitely not gonna work when we start joining tournaments.”

Net was currently propped up against a printer on a table next to my bed so he could see me. As far as I could tell, his sprite was in a position of deep thought. After a moment of this, he spoke up. “Hmm… You know, it’s weird. I mean, I know Heroes & Adventurers is a relatively old booster set, but you’d think the shops would have at least a little more in stock, but there wasn’t that many to go around.”

“What are you getting at?” I asked, not sure where this train of thought was going.

At that moment though, the PDA started vibrating. “Oh, hold on, your phone just got a text message.” Before I could say anything, he continued. “I’m able to connect myself to any electronic device, so I decided to connect myself to your phone in order to keep track of your calls and texts.

“Oh, cool. So, who’s texting me?”

“Your teacher, Mr. Castor. He says, ‘Come quick! Leon and Seth are about to have a BuddyFight!’”

That statement snapped me out of my almost drunken stupor. “What?! We have to go then, i’m not missing this!” I quickly snatched Net from the table, threw on some clothes, and bolted out the front door. This would be an event that I wanted to make sure to see.

When I go to the school, I saw the field being occupied by Mr. Castor, Leon, and Seth. Luckily, they hadn’t started fighting yet, although judging by Mr. Castor’s sideline position, they were just about to begin.

Mr. Castor saw me roll up, and I quickly jogged over to meet him. “Glad you could make it, Matt! We were just about to start.”

“Well, I am glad I could see this, but why are Leon and Seth fighting to begin with?”

Our typically jovial teacher turned a bit flustered at my question. “Ah, well, you know. They wanted to test each other’s true decks, since they never got to fight in the class tournament. Nevermind that, just watch.” Then, he turned to the two combatants. “Are you guys ready?”

It was Seth who spoke up first, followed by Leon. “You betcha! I’m excited to see what you can bring, Leon!”

“Ha! You’re going to be walking away the loser, and i’m going to earn the right to the next one!”

That statement confused me. However, before I could dwell on it too much, Mr. Castor continued on. “Alrighty then, Leon, you’re going first. Both fighters please luminize!”

“Forsaken knights of light, arise to keep your promise to the blood oath. Luminize: Purgatory Army!” As he called out his chant, Leon’s clothing shifted into a suit of black armor with slight gold trimmings, likely his Core Gadget. He drew his cards from his left shoulder pauldron.

“An impregnable fortress, an immovable object, we follow the martial code! Luminize: Dragonic Dueling Law!” Seth’s Core Gadget emerged on his wrist in the form of a watch, but instead of having a clock on it, it contained the crystal that you drew cards from.

“Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“Darkness Dragon World.”

“Danger World!”

“We can’t afford to lose this! Draw, charge and draw. I call **Purgatory Knights, Necropalm Dragon** to the center.” Besides being equipped with typical Purgatory Knights armor, Necropalm appeared as a floating white dragon with a faint blue smoke emanating from him. “Necropalm, attack the fighter!”

“For the order! Katara tou Aimatos!” Necropalm jumped and launched a magic blue sigil towards Seth, connecting in a small explosion.

Leon - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/3/6 - 9/2/6

As the smoke cleared, Seth spoke, still as jovial as ever. “Heh, only one critical? Not the type of damage I was expecting from the legendary aggressive Purgatory Knights.”

Leon didn’t show any signs of anger, just responded with “It’s only the first turn, I figured i’d let you off easy for now.” I was impressed at how they could trash talk each other so calmly and still stay focused on the fight. These two were clearly seasoned BuddyFighters.

Seth let out a hearty laugh. “Well, i’m not sure that’s a good idea, considering who you’re facing. Let’s see how much damage you can when I get my tried-and-true formation set up. Draw! Charge and draw. I call **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** to the right, and his ability activates, which allows me to search my deck for a Demongodol card and add it to my hand. Next I pay two gauge to Buddy call **Thunderbolt Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** right on top of him!” Seth regained his one life due to the Buddy Gift, and the previously semi-renown Demongodol evolved in a flash of lightning. This new Demongodol’s horns were elongated and tipped with a yellow tinge, and he also wore an intricate yellow and black belt reminiscent of a wrestler’s belt. His piercing blue eyes crackled with electricity, signifying his induction as a member of the Thunder Empire.

“Duel Dragons, huh? I’m certain i’ll be able to tear down your formation in no time.” Leon shrugged sarcastically as he mulled over his strategy.

“Hold on, ‘cause i’m not done yet!” Seth continued. “I also pay 1 gauge and 1 life to equip **Eighth Omni Spear, Stormthrust** , and I call **Eighth Omni Duel Dragon, Zubanell** to the right who allows me to gauge charge since I have an item equipped.” Stormthrust and Zubanell appeared in Seth’s hand and on the field, respectively, marked by their trademark yellow and orange color scheme. “But don’t blink, because i’m immediately using that gauge, along with another life, to cast **Burst Deity Calling Ritual** to draw two cards.” Seth looked at his hand, and beamed. “Haha, perfect! I guess i’m not stopping there; I retire the current Zubanell to call another one to gain another gauge, and finally, I set **Dangerous REIZI**. A floating sphere was now at Seth’s side, inside was a throne surrounded by numerous weapons.

I was so into the fight that I almost didn’t realize Mr. Castor starting to speak. “Seems like Seth’s really giving it his all; this is going to be one interesting match.” I nodded and returned to viewing the fight.

Seth readied himself for his next phase. “Alright, first i’ll attack Necropalm.” He threw switched Stormthrust into a reverse grip and hurled it at the dragon, who immediately was split open with a giant gaping hole in his center, until he faded away.  
Leon laughed. “A little daft, are we? You could have used Zubanell to attack and saved your two crit weapon for myself.”

Now it was Seth’s turn to laugh. “Seems like you couldn’t be bothered to do a bit of research: when Stormthrust destroys an opponent’s monster by battle, it gains Double Attack!” The comment made Leon visibly erk, but his opponent paid him no mind. “Now me and Demongodol are going to link attack the fighter!” Seth mimicked his last action, but was now joined by Demongodol lunging forward to deliver a hard jab right to Leon’s face.

Although all pain was purely fabricated, the psychology of the situation still made Leon flinch. “Damn, perhaps I may have misjudged you.”

“Zubanell, it’s your turn!”

“Cast! Midnight Shadow!”

Seth looked more and more confident with each passing moment. “I knew you had one on you. Looks like that link attack paid off. At the end of the attack phase, I pay 1 gauge to activate REIZI’s ability, putting the top card of my deck into Demongodol’s soul. And that, is the end of my turn.”

Leon - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/3/5 - 8/0/3

“Draw, charge and draw.”

Before Leon could continue Demios spoke up. “Remember to keep your cool. We can always turn this around.”

“Of course. I’m not going to lose this when there’s so much on the line.”

Demios hummed. “Just making sure.”

Leon smiled at his companion. “Alright, then let’s show him what we’re made of! I pay one gauge and send a Purgatory Knights card from my drop zone into this card’s soul to Buddy call!” The small black dragon swooped up and transformed into his regular form. His initial appearance stayed the same, except the armor became more well-developed, and his two swords turned increasingly large, as well. And just like Necropalm, he exuded a pale blue smoke. “ **The Foundation of Purgatory Knights, Lord Demios** to the right! **Purgatory Knights, Needle Claw Dragon** to the center, and I pay 1 gauge and take 1 damage to cast **Purgatory Knights, Forever** to fetch and call **Purgatory Knights, Shifturn Dragon** to the left.

Both dragons appeared on their positions, Needle Claw as a small white dragon with Wolverine-like gauntlets, and Shifturn as a yellow and black gecko creature, a bit different from the usual chivalrous entourage.

Seth, surprisingly, just looked even more excited. “Now that’s more like it! Let’s see what you can against our impenetrable wall, Mr. Dark and Sulky.”

Leon frowned. “Gladly. Demios, attack Demongodol!”

“Ah-ah-ah! ‘Fraid not. Since Origin Demongodol is in Thunderbolt’s soul, he gains 2000 power and defense.”

“Fine! Then Demios and Needle Claw, do a link attack!”

“As you command!” Demios boomed, and rushed forward to deliver a powerful cross slash on Demongodol, combined with Needle Claw’s quick flurry of strikes. The attack put the Duel Dragon out of commission, but only for him to revive with Soulguard.

Seth pumped his fist forward. “Counterattack on Demios, Demongodol!”

As soon as Demongodol regained his bearings, he swung his hand in front of him, releasing a bolt of lightning which destroyed Demios, who also revived with Soulguard.

“That’s not gonna be enough to defeat the Purgatory Knights! Demios, use your ability.”

Demios nodded. “Needle Claw, sacrifice yourself to the blood oath, Kanonas Katharterio!”

“As you wish, Lord Demios. Thanks to my ability, I return to Leon’s hand.”

“Demios and Shifturn, link attack Demongodol once more!”

Demios and Shifturn complied, the latter making a mish-mash of gurgles and hisses before shooting his tongue out to join the former’s blades.

“You know what to do, Demongodol: Counterattack!”

The dragon once again threw a bolt of lighting towards the lord’s way, and finally destroyed him, although his buff was now gone.

Leon grumbled in dissatisfaction. “Rrrgh, my turn is over.”

Leon - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/2/4 - 8/0/3

“Draw, charge and draw. You know, buddy, this fight may be important to you, but it’s important to me, as well.”

Leon, who was looking at his hand cards thoughtfully, was a bit startled by the statement. “Oh yeah? Well, like it or not, i’m fighting for more than just our deal, I have a goal to accomplish, and winning this fight will bring me one step closer.”

That comment perplexed me, so I decided to ask Mr. Castor. “Mr. Castor, what deal are they talking about?”

Just like before, my comment out of left field left him a bit nervous. “Oh, haha, i’m not really sure. Maybe they made some type of secret wager before the fight started, ya know? Let’s just see how it folds out.” He said, bumping me to get my attention back to the match. I decided to just drop the issue now and find out later.

“Well, let’s see if you can defend against my next moves. First I cast **Unyielding Spirit** to grab a Duel Dragon back from the drop zone; i’ll pick and Zubanell and call him over my current one for a handy gauge charge! Next I pay one gauge and one life to cast another **Burst Deity Calling Ritual** to draw two cards. Now I call **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** over my second Zubanell.

“What?!” Leon exclaimed, not expecting the call of said monster. Seth picked up on it immediately.

“Not expecting me to put another critical on board? I guess I know what I should do next, then! I attack Shifturn with Stormthrust!” The spear once again flew through the air and obliterated the gecko creature. “Now, we’re all gonna do a triple link attack on the fighter!”

Leon sighed. “I guess you win this round. Good game, Seth.” Shortly afterwards, a mass of three objects impacted him directly, ending the game.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Seth Demeter._

Once the fight was over, Mr. Castor and I walked over to join Leon and Seth on the field, who were now shaking hands; both of them seemed pretty satisfied with the match.

“I gotta say, Seth, that was a good match. I’m glad to know we now have someone like you on the team.”

“Likewise, Leon. Honestly, if you had gotten some more of your ace cards out, i’m not sure how long I could have held out. Guess it’s just luck of the draw at the end of the day, eh?”

“Indeed.”

Mr. Castor brought everyone together by clapping his hands. “I’m impressed, as well! You two both put up a great fight. Now, I guess it’s time for the next step, right?”

Leon and Seth nodded, while I was left confused more than anything. “Wait, what next step? What are you guys talking about?”

“Ah, it’s time to finally tell you, Matt. Truth is, both of these two wanted to fight you more than anything, so they made I wager: whoever won the fight between them would get to fight you next.”

Now _that_ made a whole lot more sense, but it still left me with one question. “I see, but Mr. Castor, why would they want to fight me?”

Our teacher turned red at my question. “Ah, well, you see, I saw you last night. In those bushes, I mean.” My eyes widened at his statement. “I knew that you had obtained a Buddy, so I told Leon and Seth this morning. Both of them rushed over here as quickly as possible, and then this whole debacle started.”

The pieces were becoming clearer by the minute. “Oh, well, I appreciate the gesture, but i’m afraid I haven’t been able to construct a good enough deck, yet. All the card shops were sold out.”

Upon me saying that, Seth slung his arm around my shoulder. “Haha, to you, that is. You see, after Mr. Castor learned that you had a Buddy, he sprinted around town, buy a bunch of the Heroes and Adventurers booster boxes just so he could give them to you today.” I looked over at our teacher, who was now blushing even more. “Not only that, but we also chipped in, too! I have a friend who lives in a different city, so I bought a few packs off of him, and he managed to ride over here fast enough to deliver them.” Sure enough, Seth held up several packs of the X-era booster.

“Me and Demios traveled around Hero World, looking for anyone who might happen to know your Buddy, here’s what we could find.” Leon held out a few cards belonging to the Computer archetype, which I gladly accepted.

The camaraderie of my fellow teammates shocked me, and my heart felt like it could burst. However, I managed to maintain my composure to thank everyone for their help. “Jeez, guys, thanks so much. I can’t believe this is happening.” At that moment, the PDA vibrated in my pocket, so I pulled it out to reveal Net.

“Hey, what do you know! Those are some of my friends. Nice going guys!” My partner’s sudden arrival threw everyone off for a moment, so I took the time to introduce him.

After that was done, Mr. Castor spoke up. “Alright, I think that’ll do it for today. Seth, you and Matt can fight tomorrow; he needs some time to prepare his deck. So, I wish you all a good rest of the day, and i’ll see you tomorrow!” Mr. Castor quickly departed, and soon after everyone said their farewells and started on their own ways home.

Once I arrived at mine, I quickly went upstairs and got ready to do some serious planning. “All right, Net, we’ve got some work to do.” My Buddy threw me a pixelated, but invigorated, thumbs-up, and we got to work building our deck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Marx here gain with another chapter! I don't really have too much to say, so as always, please leave me any feedback if you want and be sure to check out GoshdarnRabbit and his works.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and i'll see you next time!


	5. Matt's New Deck, Let's Go Net!

It took us all night, but we did it. We built the deck. Granted, we barely got any sleep, but we were ready to fight.

I stretched my arms and yawned heavily; I had been sitting up in my chair for a few hours now, although I did get up to walk around every 30 minutes or so, and not only was my rear end starting to hurt, but I was getting hungry.

“Man, you humans are weird. Are you really that tired just from sitting, or am I just being your stereotypical ‘not knowledgeable about humans’ robot as a joke?” Net was propped up against the computer tower on my desk, and he jokingly chided me with that comment.

“Still as sarcastic as ever, I see.” I twisted in my chair to help crack some of the muscles in my back, before looking back to see his sprite give a light chuckle. “Very funny. Well, it was worth every second of sleep that I lost. At least now we can fight Seth, and start to enter tournaments without getting completely stomped.

“You can say that again. Our teammates did a really good job with _netting_ us some good cards, we should thank them again later.”

His obvious pun made me grin a little; I would have laughed if not for being so tired. “Sure thing. I guess all we can do now, though, is wait for Mr. Castor to send us a message.”

“Roger that. You go downstairs and make your breakfast, or whatever it is you do during your morning routine, i’ve got stuff covered here.”

“Sure.” I agreed as I rose out of my chair, giving a slight groan in the process. “Jeez, what am I, an old man?” I thought to myself as I leisured my way towards the kitchen.

When I got there, it looked pretty mundane. My mother had already gone to work, leaving me to my lonesome self. Or I would have been lonesome, anyway, if I now didn’t have Net; he was a nice ray of sunshine that usually managed to brighten my mornings, snarky as he could sometimes be.

It wasn’t long until we got a message from our aforementioned instructor. According to Net, he wanted to us to meet him, Seth, and Leon at the usual association football field. I quickly got dressed, grabbed what I needed, and rode off for the school.

It didn’t take long for me to arrive there, and my future professional team, along with our perpetually enthusiastic teacher, were already there. As soon as I rolled into the parking lot and finished parking, they started strolling over to greet me.

After the usual greetings, Seth got pumped up. It wasn’t an abnormal thing, but he did seem more excited than usual to fight me. “So, Matt, you ready to do this?!” He punched his palm in typical battle-ready fashion.

“Ready when you are.”

“Allllright!” He bellowed. “Then let’s get started already!” He quickly sprinted off towards the field, leaving the rest of us in the literal dust.

“Well, good luck.” Leon commented. “I’m interested to see what that deck can do.”

I shrugged casually. “I guess I better not keep you waiting then.”

He responded with a quick smirk. “True enough. Once again, though, good luck. You’ll _need_ it.” At that, he joined Mr. Castor in taking the sidelines.

I pulled Net out of my pocket. “You ready to do this, partner?”

He threw his own enthusiastic thumbs-up. “You bet! Let’s show them the power of technology!”

“Haha, I don’t know about that, but i’m glad your pumped, as well.” This was it. Once I took my position on the opposite side of the stage, Mr. Castor did his usual proceedings.

“Okay, you both, let’s have a good match. Just remember to have fun in the end, too. Let’s see… Matt, you’ll go first just like Leon did. Now: both of you please luminize.”

I took a deep breathed to fill myself with one last burst of confidence; I was so nervous, I had never officially luminized in a BuddyFight before. But, I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

“Technology is its own world, ever evolving in both good and bad, let’s dive in! Luminize: Network of Battle!” Net’s PDA screen turned into a virtual tabletop interface, showing various stats of our fight; it also allowed me to draw my cards. While it wasn’t stylish, this Core Gadget form offered a tactical advantage in battle.

“An impregnable fortress, an immovable object, we follow the martial code! Luminize: Dragonic Dueling Law!” Seth did his chant and drew his cards from the now-signature watch on his wrist.

“Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!” We both shouted in unison.

“Hero World!”

“Haha, Danger World!” Seth seemed even more giddy now that the fight was starting, but I didn’t pay it too much attention.

“It’s my move. Draw, charge and draw.” I quickly browsed my starting hand, a smile appearing on my face. “Ready, Net?”

Net’s face shot up in bewilderment. “You already got me?!” Then, a hyped-up grin. “Alright, let’s do this!”

“I pay two gauge to Buddy Transform into **Computer Warrior, Netman**!” As I announced our first action, I was enveloped by a whirlwind of blue code, before being covered in various symbols and hexadecimals that started to convert into armor. Finally, I gained a blue and gold helmet with a transparent blue visor.

Seth was getting more excited by the minute. “Haha, dang! That’s one entrance i’ll never forget!”

As I was regaining my bearings, I heard an electronic voice that felt like it was right next to my ears. “Matt, can you hear me?”

“Net, is that you?”

“Sure is! Since you’re occupying my physical form, I decided to turn into a sort of artificial intelligence to keep you company.”

“So, like Iron Man?”

“Yeah, exactly!”

“Sounds good. Let’s continue.” With Net’s nod, we continued our turn. “Next I call **Computer Warrior, Archive** to the left. His ability allows me to send a Computer card from my drop zone into our soul!” Marked by my call was Archive’s arrival, a red and black armored warrior with blond hair, who gave off a sort of lone wolf vibe.

“Hoping to gain some extra soul? Looks like this is going to be one defensive match!” Seth shouted after Archive finished his ability.

I laughed. “Don’t keep your hopes up. Activate Net Shot!” By right hand transformed into an arm cannon, which I aimed at Seth and fired, immediately taking away three life in a blast of lines of code.

Seth coughed in the ensuing smoke for a bit before he could speak again. “W-What was that?!”

“By paying one gauge and removing one soul card, we can automatically deal three damage to the fighter!”

Off to the sidelines, Mr. Castor marveled, and it looked like even Leon was a bit impressed. “An instant three damage, what an ability!”

“Nice job, Matt, now let’s hit him where it hurts!”

“You got it, Net, let’s attack the fighter!” I jumped forward, and my arm cannon transformed into a drill with a blue swirl pattern.

“Cast! **Battle Aura Circle**!”

Matt - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/0/5 - 7/2/6

“Now it’s my turn! Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge and one life to **Eighth Omni Spear, Stormthrust**! I call **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** to the right, ability activate. Two gauge to Buddy Call **Thunderbolt Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** on top!” In a flash of thunder and lightning, Seth’s Buddy had appeared, as well.

“Haha, now this is going to be a battle!” Net’s voice resonated in my head, which I agreed with.

“I’m not done yet! I also set **Starved Yamigedo** and activate Demongodol’s ability, discarding a card to destroy your transformation!” Demongodol formed a lightning javelin in his right hand, forcefully pitching it towards us. Upon connection, our suit started shorting out, and Net soon returned to the PDA.

“Damn, that was… a pretty good shock.” His voice had returned to normal, echoing out from the PDA’s speakers.

Seth let out one of his signature hearty laughs. “Hahaha, that’s what you get! Next I attack Archive!”

“Cast! **Logout** , which returns Archive to my hand, making your attack fizzle out.”

“Grr… Demongodol, attack the fighter!”

This time I was forced to take the hit, and I could see why Leon flinched during his fight; although it wasn’t real, it was like virtual reality: the illusion of being in that sort of position made it feel real.

“And that’s the end of my turn.”

Matt - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/0/5 - 7/0/2

As I was recovering, I heard Net speak up again. “Dust yourself off, Matt, this fight is far from over!”

I nodded. “Right. My move! Draw, charge and draw.” I mulled over my hand cards; I didn’t have another copy of Net, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t disrupt Seth’s plays. “I call **Computer Warrior, Archive** back to the right, and I also pay one gauge to call **Computer Warrior, Hackman** to the left!” Hackman made his debut; he was a black and purple armored warrior, serving as a sort of foil to Net. He had a long brown ponytail and exuded an anti-hero aura about him.

“Not so much you can do without your Buddy, huh?” Seth’s voice echoed from across the field.

I grinned. “I should say the same to you. When Hackman enters the field, if I have another Computer on the field, he can return the monster in front of him to the opponent’s hand!”

“No way! Such a disruption ability exists?!” Immediately, Demongodol flew back to Seth’s hand, and its soul was sent to the drop zone.

“Archive, Hackman: finish things off with a link attack!”

“I’m not one for teaming up, but I guess we can see how this prototype works.” Archive chimed in, before leaping into the air.

“Ha! I’ll show you how to really bass boost things up!” Hackman said, before following suit, with the link attack proving successful.

Matt - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/0/4 - 3/0/2

Seth let out a sigh. A happy sigh, but a sigh, nonetheless. “Well, Matt, I gotta say, color me impressed. Not only did you manage to put some major damage on board, but you also cut off my ability to gain gauge using **Starved Yamigedo** , not bad.

“The feeling’s mutual, Seth, your deck is still very powerful.”

“Heh, perhaps, but i’m not out of the game yet. Draw! Charge, and draw! Mm.” He looked like he was in a bit of deep thought. “I pay one gauge and one life to cast **Burst Deity Calling Ritual** to draw two cards.” Now, he was thinking even more. “I call two **Skeleton Armored Dragon, Medrogiras** to the left and right, respectively. The first one will attack Hackman!”

“Cast! **Justice Will Prevail**! Defense plus 3000 and he gains Counterattack!”

After Hackman avoided the attack, he retaliated with a stab of his own drill.

“Then my second one will also attack Hackman!”

“Cast! **Justice Will Prevail**!”

Hackman quickly disposed of the second dragon in a similar manner, and Seth was starting to look annoyed. “Fine, i’ll just finish you myself!” He threw Stormthrust forward, and I had no counter spells left. “Haha! Now I double attack Archive!” With another successful attack, he ended his turn.

Matt - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/0/2 - 3/0/2

“Alright, Matt, we have him on the ropes, time to close the game out!”

“You got it. Draw! Charge and draw. I call **Computer Warrior, Antivirus** to the left, and Hackman back to the right.” Antivirus was a warrior with black and white armor, and his helmet had a few animal-like features. He also sported long, flowing, gold ponytails that reached down to the floor.

“Somebody called? Let me serenade you, and then drop you down quickly to 0 life!”

“Alright you two, do a link attack on Seth!”

Seth lightly growled. “Looks like today wasn’t my day.” And the final blow landed, netting us our first victory.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora._

After our team reconvened, we decided to grab lunch and talk about what to do next. Mr. Castor was the first to offer input, after setting down a fork full of salad. “So, now that all of you have Buddies, and can compete at a competent level, I think it’s time for your first tournament. As your self-appointed coach, I think with your powers combined, you have a very good chance of winning. What do you think?”

Leon dropped his burrito back onto his plate before responding. “Why not the state regionals? While it might be a step up in difficulty, if we win, we get a shot at attending the national championship.”

Seth had barely finished chewing his burger before he started to speak up. “That sounds good to me! I think we’ve all come a long way, why not just dive head first into the fray, and show the world what we’re made of? What do you think, Matt?”

Everyone turned to me; I was currently in the process of eating a slice of pizza, and I didn’t really have time to think. I would’ve usually been nervous about such a prospect, but I wanted to test my skills just as much as anybody else, so I agreed to the idea.

Mr. Castor clapped his hands. “Alright then! I’ll get you all registered, and let you know all of the details tomorrow.”

And with that, we continued to eat our lunch while occasionally talking about some less serious issues. After some time had passed, we all said our farewells and headed for home. This would be it. Our first ever official tournament, I couldn’t wait. My mind raced with the possibilities, excited about what types of fighters we would encounter, yet scared at the same time. Well, I would have time to think about it tomorrow. For now, I was just content that I had won my first fight with my new partner. A trend I hoped would continue as we got stronger and stronger with each new challenger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Marx here again with a new chapter! I hope you enjoy the direction that i'm taking this story in; the next chapter will be the start of the first major arc, I suppose, so that should be exciting. However, if you have any concerns, or want to make any suggestions, feel free to leave me a comment. I'm open to any type of changes if they have the potential to be interesting and engaging.
> 
> On that note, be sure to leave my any criticism that you have, as well! Like I always say, it's how I improve. As I go on, I want to keep getting better and better as a writer, so any feedback helps!
> 
> And, of course, be sure to check out GoshdarnRabbit and all of his works. He was the one who inspired me to write this story; his pieces are very hard to put down once you get started, so go give them a read if you haven't already. I think that's about it, so i'll see you guys in the next chapter. See ya!


	6. A New Challenger?! Fight On, Leon!

I felt the morning light stinging my eyes, which meant it was time to wake up. Removing my blanket and swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I looked around, my eyelids still heavy with sleep. The aforementioned light was shining through my black curtains, which stood right behind my black computer desk.

If I had to pick a word to describe it, my room would be very… monochrome. It was painted white, but almost of the furniture was black. Call it cliche, but I liked how it looked.

And of course, who could forget my faithful companion. At the foot of the bed, lying in a large dog bed, was my Buddy Demios. His armor being hung up on a miniature mannequin since it wasn’t that comfortable for sleeping. I smiled slightly before getting myself ready for the day. Today we were going to hear back from Mr. Castor about the tournament rules, and I can’t lie; I was excited.

“Quite the early riser as always, I see.”

I turned around. Apparently, the hustling and bustling of my daily routine had woken up the small dragon.

“Eh, you know how it is.”

“Of course. The more time we have during the day, the more time we can spend doing something productive. This is crucial to accomplishing our goal.”

I grimaced slightly before nodding. This was true. We had to keep getting stronger and stronger in order to complete our mission. So, every opportunity we had to get stronger, the better.

“Your instructor said he was going to contact us today with the details concerning our tournament, yes? Why not grab a bite to eat in town before so? Besides, fresh air helps keep the mind sharp.”

“You have a point. Alright then, let’s do it.” And with that, we left the house and drove off, not really knowing where we wanted to go, yet. But, it was nice to sometimes just enjoy the surroundings. Often, I felt like me and Demios were too serious about a lot of things. Always putting up this barrier so we could focus on what we needed to, but today was a good day to just relax, and enjoy it for what it was. I think Demios thought so, too, because I caught a glimpse of him smirking out of my peripheral vision.

We soon stopped at a local breakfast chain. We quickly walked in. Luckily, business was pretty slow, so we were able to order as soon as we walked in. We settled down at a table while we waited for our food to arrive. It was pretty uneventful. Demios and I mostly ate in silence once our food arrived, except for the occasional small-talk between bites. Once we were finished, we disposed of our trash and got ready to leave.

“Excuse me, but is that the renown leader of the Purgatory Knights, Demios Sword Dragon?”

We had barely gotten out the door before being approached by a total stranger. He walked towards us after inquiring about my Buddy, who was currently standing defensively at my side.

“Uh… sort of? He’s an evolution of the previous Demios Sword, so he’s not the exact same. Also, he’s not the same one that was used by Tasuku Ryuenji.”

“Ah, gotcha. Still, that’s a pretty rare Buddy to see around here. How’d you get a hold of him?”

I drew away at the inquiry. “Sorry, but I don’t like to monologue; especially to people i’ve never met. Wouldn’t want to bore them with long stories, ya know?” I shrugged sarcastically, as if taunting him to ask another question.”

“Ah, sorry. You’re right about that.” He chuckled lightly while scratching the back of his head. Then, he offered a reserved handshake. “Jacob Camellia, and you are?”

I accepted and proceeded to reply. “Leon Aeolus. Don’t worry about it, but i’m still not telling you anything.”

“Hah, figures. Worth a try, I suppose. Well, either way, nice to make your acquaintance. I assume you’re a BuddyFighter?”

“Naturally. Some of the strongest in the area; we’re entering the Illinois regional to prove that very fact.”

“Really? Well, I guess i’ll see you there, because i’m participating, as well.”

I looked up and down this Jacob character. He seemed about my age, maybe a year or two older. He had messy, long, dirty-blond hair, and sea-green eyes. He was currently wearing a grey jacket and a red, worn-out t-shirt, along with black shorts with white stripes. On his feet, he had white crew socks and simple black shoes. All-in-all, he looked like an average young adult, possibly in high school or college, albeit a bit eccentric.

It was my turn to be inquisitive. “Oh really? Trying to pick up a quick fight?”

He flashed an shy grin, going perfectly along with his character. “Not particularly. Just trying to have some friendly bant—”

“If he wants a fight, why not give it to him?”

The man we now knew as Jacob turned to his right. Walking up to his side was a young woman with long white hair. She had dark blue eyes, and was wearing clothes very similar to her presumed companion, except instead of shorts, she wore grey sweats.

“Come on, Vioroza, we’re going to be facing him in the tournament anyway, why not wait until then?”

She shrugged casually and threw a dastardly grin my direction. “True, but there’s no problem with handing out an early beating, is there?”

I responded with my own wicked smile. “Oh? A little confident, I see. How about we put it to the test?”

Jacob sighed. “Alright, if you must. We’ll meet you at the local American football field in about ten minutes, deal?”

“It’s a deal.”

They walked out of distance before Demios spoke to me. “Are you sure that was the right decision. You’re letting your opponent know about our strategy before the tournament even begins.”

“Well, what if we don’t? Why don’t we use that one deck we haven’t used for a while?”

His eyes grew wide. “Are you sure. That deck isn’t exactly up to the best… standards.”

“Ha, even better. If we can beat them with that deck, then that means they’ll be no problem at the tournament.”

“I suppose you’re right. Well then, let’s not waste any more time.” I agreed, and we set off for the field. Currently, there was no game going on, and it was open to public for a limited time, which was a nice gesture from the city.

When we got there, we saw Jacob and Vioroza waiting for us. They had taken one end of the field, so we decided to take the other.

“So, you ready for a fight?” Vioroza called from across the field.

“The real question is, are you?” I replied.

She cackled ominously. “Not bad trash talk, but can you keep it up?”

Jacob intervened. “Let’s just start the fight, shall we? We’ll go first.”

“Fine by me.”

“Though we may be desolate, we still follow the code of chivalry! Luminize: House of Ruin!” As Jacob was luminizing, he discard his jacket, and his Core Gadget appeared, taking the form of a maroon scarf with a flower insignia on the end, in which rested the gem that he drew his cards from.

“Dark knights ruled by demonic lords, destroy and wreak havoc! Luminize: Rulers of Tartarus!” My Core Gadget remains the same no matter which deck I use, so I donned my trademark armor and drew my own cards.

“Raise the flag!”

“Darkness Dragon World!”

“Dungeon World!”

Jacob looked me quizzically. “Dungeon World. Interesting choice.”

I responded nonchalantly. “Demios can fight in more than just one world, you’ll find out soon enough.”

“Fair enough. Draw, charge and draw. I pay two gauge and put the top card of my deck into this card’s soul to Buddy Call **Alluring Sword Demon, Vioroza** to the center!”

Vioroza jumped forward and was surrounded by a blue aura that covered her entire body. When she landed on the center position, she was now wearing a full suit of black armor with subtle gold highlights. She also had two large swords; one stabbed into the ground and one slung over her shoulder, respectively. The former blade was white with an ominous red smoke flaring from it, and it also housed a red gem in its hilt, while the latter was also white, but exuded a blue smoke.

Jacob continued. “I pay one life to cast **Chaotic Pain** , milling three cards to charge another three into my gauge. Finally, I pay one gauge to equip **Cursed Demon Idol**.” He initially held out a black statue that housed a purple and red eye with a slit pupil, before it sinked into his hand. His life eyes was now replaced with the aforementioned ominously colored one, and his voice had gained a raspy echo effect. “Vioroza, attack the fighter!”

“Now you’ll see why they call me the Sword Demon!” At that statement, Vioroza swung both of her swords forward, producing red and blue beams that careened toward me at record speeds. Unfortunately, I had no defense spells at the moment.

“That’ll end our turn.” Jacob concluded.

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/3/4 - 9/2/6

“Ha, only one damage? For someone who likes the talk a lot, you sure couldn’t being the pain.”

Jacob threw a sly grin. “Don’t worry, you’ll see Vioroza’s true power soon enough.”

“I guess we will see. Draw, charge and draw. I pay one life to cast **Secret Arts of the Water Lord** to charge one gauge and deal you one damage. Next I call **Mech Army Demon Lord, Agos Marh** and **Heat Blade, Joker** to the left and right, respectively.”

Agos Marh appeared on his position, a blue-skinned, red-eyed, and white-bearded man who wore gaudy gold armor and clutched an equally gaudy gold staff. Joker, on the other, was similar to the one used by Kiri Hyoryu, except flames poured out of all of his, well, pores. Including his eyes.

Despite this, I was still frustrated; both of them had a combined power of 4000, not enough to crack Vioroza’s 5000 defense, and I had no other monsters or items to call or equip. But, I still could do one thing.

“Final Phase!”

Jacob and Vioroza both titled their heads in confusion. However, before they could ask any questions, I continued on.

“I set **Darkness Final Mission Card, ‘World End!’** and end my turn.”

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/3/4 - 8/4/3

Jacob looked incredibly dumbfounded, but decided to just start his turn after a slight sigh. “My turn. Draw, charge and draw. Vioroza, attack Agos Marh!”

“Right!” She swung the blue sword, and the same blue beam cleaved Agos Marh in two.

“Hmm…” I thought. “I wonder why they’re not attacking me.” However, that thought wouldn’t stay in my head for long.

“Edge of Demonic Calibur!” She held the two swords parallel to each other above her head, and swung both of them downwards, producing a purple beam which struck me and exploded.

When the smoke cleared, I could see Jacob, with a confident smile on his face. “That’s Vioroza’s ability: whenever she destroys an opponent’s monster by battle, she deals one effect damage! Not to mention the damage from your Lifelink, as well!”

Demios spoke up, for the first time in a while. “That’s similar to our ability. We better stay on guard for any other tricks they have up their sleeves. We can’t afford to lose this now.”

I grimaced. “But I don’t have defense spells, what can I do?”

The dragon turned toward me, and made a fist. “Just hold out for this turn! We can still win this.” I nodded as Jacob continued on with his turn.

“Alright, Vioroza, attack Joker next!” A similar result to the first, Vioroza used her red blade as her main weapon, this time, and burned me for another point of damage. “Now it’s my turn!” Jacob formed a sphere of dark energy in his hand, and then hurled it, passing through Vioroza and colliding with me. “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Idol allows me to attack even if there’s a monster in my center. But that’s not all! I also cast **Truth of Darkness**. Since two or more of your monsters were destroyed during this turn, I gain one life and draw two cards. Your move.”

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/4/6 - 4/4/3

“Leon, stay focused. You wanted to challenge yourself by using this deck, right? So, don’t give up!”

“You’re right. We can’t stop now. Draw! Charge and draw! I one gauge to equip **Wind Scaled Spear, Eskamal**! I also cast another **Secret Arts of the Water Lord** , this time using its first effect to fetch and call **Death Dragon Demon Lord, Deathgaze** to the right!”

Jacob grinned. “Now this is getting interesting. Come hither, then, if you’ve got the guts!”

“Gladly. Deathgaze, attack the fighter! Thanks to that, one card is added to World End’s soul.”

“Not so fast! Cast: **Chaos Defenser** to nullify the attack!”

Vioroza laughed. “Haha! Now I really get to cut loose!” She swung her blue blade again, decimating Deathgaze and dealing me another point of damage, coupled with Deathgaze’s Lifelink.”

I was in shock. “Wait! But how?!”

Jacob also laughed. “Vioroza also has Counterattack, just so you know.”

“Grr… Well, you can’t Counterattack the fighter!” And I leapt forward to attack Vioroza.

“Well, certainly not. But I can do this! **Chaos Defenser** , once more!”

“Damn. I end my turn.”

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/4/4 - 1/4/2

“Well, well, look who’s not bringing the damage now. Having some bad draws there?”

I wa currently holding my head down in a moment of contemplation, but looked up at that statement to see Vioroza, her hand on her hip in a taunting manner.

She was right. Not only did I not draw into Demios, but I also had no defense spells. This match was as good as done.

Then, Jacob spoke up. “Let’s just finish this already. Draw, charge and draw. I attack the fighter!” He swung another dark orb towards me, and I was left with no other option than to take it, ending the game.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Jacob Camellia._

Although the match was frustrating beyond measure, the aftermath was what really had me shocked. So shocked that it took me almost an hour to comprehend it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Marx here! Hope you enjoy this latest chapter. I admit, I felt like this one was kind of rushed, but I wanted to get it out as soon as possible. That's also why there's a bit of cliffhanger ending. Hopefully that'll give you guys some ideas for feedback, because, as you know, i'm always open! So, be sure to list any you have!
> 
> And, if you haven't read my disclaimers, I strongly recommend you do so from a previous chapter.
> 
> That's it for me, i'll see ya later!


	7. Shoot For The Gold! Nexus Enforcers Established!

After we had finished the fight, we all decided to grab lunch at a barbecue place. It was a rather strange happenstance, but they do say that people can bond over a trading of blows. Either way, I respected Jacob’s power; even though I hadn’t used my Demon Lord in a while, he still managed to defeat me while maintaining ten life; he was a worthy rival.

I was snapped out of my infatuation with the bulgogi by Jacob speaking up. “You know, you could have very well beaten us back there. Unfortunately, you didn’t seem to have good draws.”

I shrugged. “It happens. I haven’t really used the deck in such a long time, it’s kind of out of date, really.” Jacob nodded, and then returned to forking his caesar salad that he got as a side.

Vioroza was the next to speak up, after setting down her turkey sandwich. “So, since Demios is your Buddy, I assume that Purgatory Knights is your true deck?” At my nod, she continued. “Hmm… hey Jacob.” She continued to whisper in her partner’s ear, and rested her head on his shoulder after finishing. Jacob thought something over for a moment, probably what Vioroza whispered to him. After a bit, he continued eating. Instead of pressing the issue, I decided to continue with my food, as well.

It was a while before anyone spoke up again. Next was Demios, who was currently brandishing a shish kebab like it was a sword. It was kind of adorable, actually, but he quickly stopped once he noticed eyes on him, only adding to the hilarity of the situation. He quickly cleared his throat and began to speak. “We really do need to add cards to that deck, you know. Some of the units don’t even meld well with our strategy.”

I closed my eyes in thoughtfulness. “You’re right, but I can’t really afford any packs right now. I used up all my money to help Matthew build his deck.” Demios grumbled, not really having an answer to our predicament.

Before I could think about it any further, Jacob interrupted us with an offer, after setting down his soda, having long moved on from the side meal. “You know, I think I have some cards you can use.” After digging around in a deck box, he produced three sets of four cards, handing them to me. “I think those will go quite well with your Demon Lord deck.”

I looked them over. The first was **Purgatory Demonic Swordsman** , a card modeled after Tasuku during his Purgatory Knight days. It was Adventurer and Black Knight attribute; 5000 power, two critical, 1000 power, and size one. It’s ability was focused around destroying your own cards to deal effect damage, an homage to the Purgatory Knights’ abilities.

The second card was **Demon Lord’s Armor** , a spell card that could be sent into the soul of a Demon Lord. It could help Demios gain more soul, and give him the ability debuff any other cards on the field; either making it easier to plow through certain monsters, or weaken attacks coming from the opponent. They were two very good cards, and they melded perfectly with my deck’s strategy.

Finally, there was **Mikazuchi Knight, Rebellious**. An upgraded form of the semi-renown Hundred Demons card. He was a possible alternative I could use if I didn’t draw into Demios. He lent well into my dual Demon Lord/Adventurer strategy, and could deal the occasional Thunder Mine damage. All-in-all, a solid emergency backup.

I was very appreciate of the gift, but I had some questions. I think everyone knew it, too. “Wow, thanks… but, what’s the catch?”

Jacob scratched his head a gave a goofy grin. “Haha, I thought you’d say that. Well, how about we make a deal? I’m guessing that you’re going to go full power at the tournament, which means you’ll most likely be using your true deck. Here’s the deal: if we meet each other in the tournament, use your Demon Lord deck. If you win, then those cards are yours to keep. Lose, and you’ll have to give them back. Deal?” He struck his hand out, offering a complimentary handshake.

I mulled it over for a second, and then whispered to Demios. “What do you make of this?”

“I see no reason to decline. This may be one of our toughest challenges yet. If we can overcome it, we shall only grow stronger.”

I nodded, then turned to Jacob and took his hand in my own. “Alright, you got a deal.”

Throughout the rest of our lunch, we mainly made small-talk. It wasn’t long before Mr. Castor texted me and said to meet up with him, Matt, and Seth. I said my goodbyes to Jacob and Vioroza, vowing to beat them should we get matched up in the tournament. After that, me and Demios headed off for the school.

“They are worthy adversaries. I hope we get a chance to face them again.”

“You and me both. It’ll be quite the challenge.”

“Indeed. But at least now we can update the Demon Lord deck.”

“True. I’m not one to turn down free stuff, i’ll tell you that much.”

Demios chuckled. “Not a very charitable person, typical.”

“Whaaaat? Come on, that’s not… exactly true.” I sighed. “Anyway, we need to get stronger before the tournament. I want to test myself against Matt’s new deck, see where our current potential is now.” My ever-faithful Buddy concurred, and we drove in silence the rest of the way.

When we got there, we couldn’t spot any of our team members on the field. Meaning, they were probably inside. My theory was correct; instead of meeting on the field today, Mr. Castor instead opted to discuss his findings in his room. It made sense, given that nobody was planning on fighting today. Although, I made sure to make a mental note, telling myself to ask Matt to fight later.

As soon as we walked through the door, Mr. Castor perked up. “Leon, Demios, you’re here! Let’s get started then, shall we? Take a seat, anywhere you like.”

I walked over and chose a seat in the back row. Mr. Castor’s classroom was set up pretty peculiarly; in the middle of the room were two rows of six desks. However, those were surround by a u-shape of about 20 desks, so the bottom of the shape made another sort of pseudo-row of about eight desks. These three rows faced the front of the room, where the projector screen rested, along with the door off to the left. Decorating the room were various posters depicting different psychological concepts. That’s right, Mr. Castor, an avid BuddyFighter, was also a psychology teacher. It was a pretty interesting mix. But, all-in-all, the room gave off a very homely vibe.

Once I sat down, I looked over and saw Matt and Seth; Matt was sitting in the desk closest to the teacher’s desk, which was right next to right end of the u-shape. Seth, on the other hand, sat in the front row on the right edge. Once he saw we were all seated and ready to begin, Mr. Castor continued speaking.

“Okay, so we have a few things to discuss today. I guess first we’ll start with the tournament details. Okay, so there will be seven other teams competing, the matches will be best two out of three. You pre-select your team order before each round begins, and then whichever team scores two wins before the other moves on to the next round. Deck changes are accepted, as long as you register each deck before the deadline. There are no time limits to speak of, just keep going into someone falls. Hmm… I think that pretty much covers everything: any questions?”

We all shook our heads. “Alright, good! That gets that out of the way, now on to the next one: a team name! You guys said you’d think it over and come up with some stuff, so, what do you have so far?”

Seth was the first to speak up. “Oh, I got one! What about Team Dual Dragons? You get it? It’s a play on Duel Dragons, but it’s dual because we have two dragon archetypes on our team.” He puffed his chest out, showing how proud he was at the suggestion.

I hummed. “Mmm… it’s alright, I guess. But what about Matt? He has no representation in the name.”

Seth’s shoulders drooped at the realization. “Darn… you’re right. No offense, Matt, I honestly wasn’t thinking straight.”

“No offense taken.”

“I’ve got one.” I began. “Team Dark Enforcers. It melds well with my deck’s theme, and a bit with Seth’s, and it also alludes to enforcing the law, which both of your decks do, in one way or another.”

Seth put his hand to his chin. “That’s not too bad, but Matt’s deck is literally the opposite of dark.”

“Hmm, you’re right.”

Mr. Castor was swivelling in his chair before he turned to the group, particularly at me. “Well, Matt, what do you think?”

We all turn to Matt, which, in retrospective, probably made him more nervous than anything. Well that certainly wasn’t the intention; we more so wanted to hear his opinion. However, despite our actions, he still managed to push through.

He thought long and hard, contemplating and mulling over a good suggestion. Then, I saw that spark in his eyes. Something I had never seen before he obtained Net, something that signified a type of potential awakening. “What about… the Nexus Enforcers. All of our archetypes for some type of noble goal, to enforce and ideal; that’s where the enforcer part comes from. However, a nexus is a connection that links things together, or a type of central hub; that’s kind of what we are. We’re all connected by BuddyFight, and we’ve all come together to surpass ourselves, and see just how far we can go. We’re a nexus. So… is that good?”

All three of us lit up in bewilderment. We would never have thought of such a creative, inspired, and aesthetically fitting name, at least, not without ample time for thought. The fact that Matt had come up with such a name in only a few minutes was astonishing.

Seth let out a hearty laugh. “That’s brilliant, Matt! The Nexus Enforcers! That’s us!”

I smirked. “Yeah, that’s us.”

“Alright, i’ll finish your guys’ application.” Mr. Castor chimed in. “Since that didn’t end up taking us too long, you’re all free to do whatever you wish for the rest of the time we have.”

I quickly stood up from my seat. “Alright, Matt, I challenge you to a fight!”

Everyone was so unprepared for my statement that they almost jumped out of their seats. Matt looked over to me. “Um… I mean, I guess we can fight.”

“You’re damn well right that we’re going to fight! I have something special in store for you, so why don’t you show me what that Computer deck can do?”

I heard a small electronic voice. “We’ll take you on any day of the week! We beat Seth, who beat you, so we can obviously beat you, as well! It’s just how scaling works!”

Matt sighed. “Jeez, Net, you didn’t have to go and say that, we were gonna fight anyway.” Then he cleared his throat. “Alright, let’s do this.”

It was a quick jog back down to the field. Mr. Castor and Seth took their place on the sidelines, while Matt and I took opposite ends of the actual field.

“I’ll go first.” I announced.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Dark knights ruled by demonic lords, destroy and wreak havoc! Luminize: Rulers of Tartarus!”

“Technology is its own world, ever evolving in both good and bad, let’s dive in! Luminize: Network of Battle!”

“Buddy… Fight!” The two spectators shouted in unison.

“Raise the flag!”

“Dungeon World!”

“Hero World!”

“It’s my move. Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge to Buddy Call **Purgatory Demon Lord, Demios** to the right!”

In contrast to his normal form, Demios’ Demon Lord form shed some of his heavy armor, opting for black robes, instead. He also gained the ability to commandeer fire instead of his twin swords.

As he landed, he let out a mighty roar. “Now i’ll get the chance to show you what I can really do for Dungeon World!”

“I also pay one life to equip **Thunder Beast Spear, Bestia** , and call **Purgatory Demonic Swordsman** to the left. Finally, i’ll call **Heat Blade, Joker** to the center, and send him into Demios’ soul.”

Matt stood and marvelled at my first turn. “Jeez, if that isn’t a near-perfect formation, I don’t know what is.”

I ignored him and went into the attack phase. “Demios, attack the fighter!”

“Right!” Demios raised his hand, forming a basic fireball spell before launching it in Matt’s direction, resulting in a clean hit.

“Next I activate Swordsman’s ability. By destroying Demios, who revives with Soulguard, I get to charge one gauge and deal you one point of damage.”

The forlorn copy of Tasuku said nothing, only raised his sword at Demios before firing a beam from it, which destroyed the dragon and then redirected to Matt.

“That’s my first turn.”

Leon - Matt  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/3/3 - 7/2/6

After recovering, Matt grinned. “Wow, so this is the power of your Dungeon World deck, pretty scary setup.”

“You’re not the only one who can deal three damage on the first turn.” I bluntly replied.

Matt awkwardly chuckled. “I can see that now. But that doesn’t mean we’re giving up! Draw, charge and draw.” He looked over his cards, weighing his options. “I call **Computer Warrior, Archive** to the left, and then cast **Control C** , which allows me to search my deck for a Computer monster if there’s already one on the field.”

Demios spoke up. “Get ready, he’s most likely going to Transform.”

I nodded. “Even if he does, he’s already called Archive, meaning he most likely can’t use Net Shot until next turn.” I thought.

“I pay two gauge to Buddy Transform! **Computer Warrior, Netman**! Next I cast **Hyper Energy** to gauge charge four. Archive, attack Demios!”

“Hm? He’s not going to activate Blue Charge, either?” I thought. “That means he doesn’t even have a Computer monster in the drop zone.”

“I cast **Abominable Ritual** , which nullifies your attack, lets me gauge charge, and gain one life.

“Alright, then we’ll attack Demios!”

I had to let this one through, after which Matt ended his turn. Good news: he didn’t deal any damage, and I was ready to counterattack in full.

Leon - Matt  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/4/2 - 8/5/4

“Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge to call Demios back to the right, while also sending Joker back into his soul. Finally, I send **Demon Lord’s Armor** into Demios’ soul, as well.”

Over on the other side, I could see that Matt and Net were talking, but couldn’t tell what they were saying. I decided to press on with my turn. “First i’ll attack the fighter!” I pointed Bestia at my target, who was subsequently zapped with a bolt of lightning. “Demios, attack the fighter!”

“Rrrgh, i’ll have to take this one, too.” Matt announced, and then held true to his statement.

“Demios’ ability activates! By destroying himself, he gets to destroy Archive, stand up, and deal one point of damage!”

“With the power of a demon, I rise again! Floga Katharismou!”

“Demios, attack the fighter again!”

“Not so fast! I cast **Backspace** to nullify the attack. And since a Computer monster was destroyed this turn, I get to fetch one back from the drop zone.”

“Swordsman, follow suit!”

“Damn!” Matt grunted, as he took the sword swing head on.

“Swordsman’s ability activates again, destroying Demios to close the game!”

“Jeez, that’s it for me. Good game, Leon.” My opponent concluded as he lost his last point of life.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Leon Aeolus._

Me and Matt met at the middle of the field to shake hands, while Mr. Castor and Seth walked over to join us.

“Good fight, you too! You both have the makings of state champions, already!”

Seth laughed. “I’ll say! That Demon Lord deck is something to be feared.”

“Agreed.” Matt said. “I think we may actually have a chance of winning this.”

I lightly snorted. “Ha, as long as you have me around, anything’s possible.”

Seth slapped me on the back. “Haha, don’t get too ahead of yourself, we’ve all gotten better as we’ve fought each other. We’re all pulling our own, and that’s how we’re going to grasp victory!” He pumped his other fist in the air for emphasis.

“Indeed.” Mr. Castor added. “You’ve all come so far since that tournament, I believe in each and every one of you. Now it’s just up to you guys to grasp that lucky chance with all you have.”

“Right!” We all shouted in unison.

Afterwards, we all went our separate ways again. Upon reaching home, it was starting to recede into the early evening. I decided to kill some time by watching some YouTube videos, checking to see if any of my favorite creators had put out any more content. Laying back in bed, a few more hours passed before I decided to get ready to sleep.

“Do you think we’re ready to take on that Jacob character?”

I was just coming out of the bathroom when I heard my ever-so-faithful companion speak up. He was currently lounging on his own bed, his armor discarded.

“Honestly? Possibly. But we’ll need to pull out everything we have in order to beat him.”

“And will you honor his wishes as you said?”

I climbed into bed, relaxing before answering. After I situated myself, I took a deep breath and smiled. “Hell yeah. He isn’t going to know what hit him.” And with that, I drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Marx here! Back at it again with another chapter. I took some time to write this one, trying to write in short, inspired bursts, instead of attempting to cram a lot of writing into one session. I think it worked out well, but be sure to let me know what you think! As always, feedback helps me improve immensely. If you also want to suggest anything plot related, i'm open to consideration!
> 
> Disclaimers still apply, of course. Be sure to check out GoshdarnRabbit and his works, I guarantee you'll love them.
> 
> I think that's it for today, so i'll see you guys next time with another chapter. See ya!


	8. Disaster Approaches? A Mysterious Challenger...

I woke up from my slumber no sooner than I had started it. And yet, the morning light still peered in through the curtains. Rubbing my eyes, which felt as equally heavy as they did before, I looked around. Of course, nothing had changed, but something felt… different. Not necessarily bad or good, just… different.

I leaned over the end of my bed; Demios was still sleeping, chest rising and falling with each deep breath. Perhaps my feeling was nothing more than a morning tiredness, an ailment that would soon secede from my mind as I got the day started. To capitalize on such a notion, I headed to the bathroom to start said daily routine. Take care of my hygiene, get dressed, the works. And still that feeling remained. Upon exiting the restroom, I turned to see Demios starting to come around, the small gray dragon yawning for emphasis, whether intentional or not.

He quickly shot up in awareness once he saw me. “Raising early today, I see.”

I shrugged. “Just a happenstance, I suppose.”

Today was another off day for me and Demios. Actually, it was the same for Matt and Seth, as well. Mr. Castor had personally excused us from attending any more of the extracurricular since we would be busy with training for the tournament and the like. In other words, our team formation was a sort of graduation. With that in mind, I decided to visit town once again; I could practice some more once I got back, plus, it wasn’t often that I got to do stuff like this.

After we had arrived, we chose to go down a different district than the one we had visited before. While being occupied at a red light, I looked out the window: Jacob and Vioroza were nowhere to be found. Most likely getting ready for the tournament.

There were a few more minutes of aimlessly driving down various streets until we reached a recreational plaza. Various clubs, stores, and other amenities lined the outer rim. The one that caught my eyes in particular, though, was a BuddyFight club. The relatively small building was wedged in-between a hardware store and a sandwich shop. It also looked relatively mundane, very… pedestrian, if you will. There wasn’t anything special about how it looked, but something drew me to it, something I couldn’t explain at that time.

Once we found a spot to park, we started to stroll over, and see what we could, well, see by peering into the windows. It looked like there was a simple reception area in the front, meaning the actual facilities were in the back.

A bell chimed as we opened the front door. The receptionist, some type of college kid, looked up at us as we entered.

He sighed. “Welcome to the South Plaza BuddyFight Club, how may I help you?”

I wasn’t really sure what to say, but I tried to sound confident, like I belonged here. “Uh, yeah, is a session going on right now?”

He sighed again, clearly not very enthusiastic about his job. “Yes, we have a meeting going on right now. Would you like to head in?”

“Wait, I can just _go_ inside? Even if i’m not a member?”

“We’re a non-profit club, the building’s owner provides a space for anyone to come and enjoy BuddyFight with other people. Visitors can come and go at their leisure.”

“Oh, cool. So… can I head in?”

“Let me unlock the door for you.”

He stopped leaning on the desk and slowly trudged his way over to one of the doors, pulling some keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the doors and made his way back to his post.

“Please enjoy the facilities, and remember to have fun.”

Upon walking through the doors, the room opened up immensely. The ceiling grew about a foot in height, and the walls spread out to reveal a spacious room, currently occupied by numerous people of all ages engaging in BuddyFights on the outer sides. The middle was dedicated to a single large fight, where monsters could actually take the stage in their physical forms.

Once I walked in, a boy about my age spotted me and quickly walked over, strutting with overconfidence in every step. I looked him over. He was about my height, maybe and inch or two taller, and was currently wearing a short sleeve jacket, even though it wasn’t even hot out. Underneath was a graphic tee paired with dark jeans and brown sneakers. Around his neck was a bronze necklace with some type of logo at the center. He looked pretty well put together, if not a little overzealous.

He walked with a slight slouch, and once he reached me he flashed a cocky grin.”

“Hey there, buddy. You’re new here, right? Why don’t you let me show you around, it’d be nice to have a friend right?”

I quickly stood my ground. “Sorry, but no thanks. I think I can get around on my own just fine.”

As I started to walk away, he grabbed my arm. “Maybe you didn’t get the message, _friend_. If you don’t know what’s good for you, I suggest you take me up on my offer of sincerity before you regret it.

I shoved him off. “And maybe _you_ didn’t get the memo, because I said I don’t need your help. So, why don’t _you_ mind your business.”

He grew visibly angry at this, but maintained his cool quite well, surprisingly. “Listen, since you don’t know this, i’ll let you off with a warning, but i’m in contact with an Armordeity, so I have a bit of authority around here, just saying.”

My eyes grew wide. This guy, of all people, knows an Armordeity? I couldn’t believe it. I grew hasty, wanting to know more. Upon retrospect, that was a bad idea, because it let him know that I also had a few connections. Demios tried to stop me, but I spoke up before he had the chance.

“Which Armordeity could you possibly be an acquaintance of? There’s only two known ones in Dragon World.”

“Ah, so you’re aware of that. Interesting. Tell you what, why don’t we have a BuddyFight; if you win, i’ll tell you what I know. Deal?”

“You’re on!” And so I walked off, taking one side of the middle area.

“Don’t you think you’re being a little bit hasty? You let him know too much about us.”

I looked and saw Demios at my side. “Who cares? We got this in the bag, we’ll find out what he knows for sure.”

My companion sighed. “I hope you’re right.”

My opponent took his side of the makeshift arena. “By the way, the name’s Dray. But don’t worry, you won’t forget it after this fight. I’ll go first.”

“The skies crack. An almighty, armored dragon descends to deliver divine punishment! Luminize: Deity of Energy!”

“Dark knights ruled by demonic lords, destroy and wreak havoc! Luminize: Rulers of Tartarus!”

“Buddy… Fight!” Everyone around us shouted.

“Raise the flag!”

“Dragon World!”

“Dungeon World!”

Dray began. “Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge and send the top card of my deck into this card’s soul to equip **Chieftain Fist, Dragogeneral**. I also pay one gauge to activate its ability, which sends the top card of my deck into its soul again. Thanks to that, its critical jumps to two. Now I attack the fighter!”

Dray jumped forward and delivered a strong hook, connecting and bringing me down to eight life.

Dray - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/1/6 - 8/2/6

“It’s my move. Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge to Buddy Call **Purgatory Demon Lord, Demios** to the right!”

Demios transformed into his sorcerer form and landed on the right position, letting out a mighty roar in the process.

“Let us show him the power of purgatory!”

Glad to see him fired up, I shouted back. “You got it! I also call **Death Dragon Demon Lord, Deathgaze** to the left, along with **Heat Blade, Joker** to the center, who gets sent into Demios’ soul. I also pay one gauge to cast **Demon Lord Invasion** to fetch and call another Joker to the center. Finally I cast **Reset Button** to shuffle my last gauge into the deck, which nets me four more gauge in return.”

With my army of demonic lords assembled, it was time to go on the offensive.

“Joker and Deathgaze, do a link attack on the fighter!”

“I hope you don’t mind if I turn up the heat!” Joker shouted, along with Deathgaze’s gurgles and hisses, as he attacked Dray. The obvious puns never ceased to disappoint me.

“I cast **Dragonic Endure** , which allows me to charge three gauge since I was dealt damage.”

“Now it’s your turn Demios!”

“Right!” And with that, a successful fireball spell put Dray down to six life, ending our turn.

Dray - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/4/5 - 9/4/2

As the dust was clearing, our opponent spoke up. “Hah, not bad. But now it’s time for me to get serious.”

Demios turned to me. “Watch it. I sense a dangerous fire in his eyes. It looks like he’s about to show us his true colors.”

I nodded and turned back to the fight, in which Dray had just finished charging and drawing.

“The top two cards of my deck go into his soul. I pay five gauge to Buddy Call **Armordeity, Energeia** to the right position!”

“What?!” Me and Demios shouted in unison, utterly flabbergasted at our opponent’s proclamation. As we were doing so, the star of the show made his debut.

A massive white and gold dragon took the stage, veins pulsating with green energy. With hulking arms and a mustache-like appendage to rival Zeus himself, he was truly more deity than dragon. Energeia gingerly floated down to the arena, with his landing rocking the entire building. His arms were crossed in front of him, and he uttered not a sound as Dray continued on with his turn.

“I call **Ex-Generation Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon, Sand Staff Benetnasch** to the left, whose ability allows me to send another card into Energeia’s soul at the cost of one life. Finally, I call **Boomerang Dragon Returns** to the center.”

I was still stunned from the calling of the second Armordeity. I looked over at Demios, who was also shaking in disbelief. However, we couldn’t stand in shock forever while our opponent was about ready to begin his battle phase.

“Boomerang, attack Joker.”

“I cast **Abominable Ritual** to nullify the attack! I also gauge charge and gain one life.”

“Boomerang’s ability activates; by sending a card from my hand into my gauge, he returns to my hand. Benetnasch, finish what he couldn’t!”

“Sand Alchemy Arrow!” This time, Joker was defeated, and my center was pried open.

“Energeia, attack the fighter!” A devilish grin spread across Dray’s face, as he knew I couldn’t respond to Energeia’s attack, which resulted in a powerful fist crashing into my entire body.

“Double Attack!” And another hit.

“And now it’s my turn!” I was forced to take this one, too, because I didn’t even have any nullifiers left to begin with. “I cast **Batzz X Link** , checking the top three cards of my deck; one goes into my hand, the rest into my gauge, and I regain one life. And that’s my turn.”

Dray - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/3/3 - 4/5/1

As I was recovering from Energeia’s powerful blows, I heard Dray speak up again. “So, what do you think of my Buddy? Pretty unique, huh?” The sarcasm in his voice couldn’t be any more evident.

I grew angry. “I want answers, now! You said you had a connection to the Armordeities, not that you were the partner of one! Explain yourself!”

He wagged his finger playfully in response. “Ah-ah-ah, that’s not how this works. First you have to beat me.” He then lowered his voice. “Or are you too scared to face Energeia?”

This time, Demios was the one to speak up. “The Purgatory Knights are scared of nothing, and neither is my Buddy. Deity or not, you will fall before us!”

Seeing Demios’ confidence gave my own a boost. “That’s right. We’ve never backed down from a challenge, and we sure as hell aren’t going to now! Draw, charge and draw!”

“Glad to see your bravado back so soon, now come at us!” Dray called out.

“With pleasure! I cast **Demon Lord’s Armor** , and send it into Demios’ soul. Thanks to that, Demios gets the ability to debuff one card, and his abilities can’t be nullified by Energeia! Battle!”

“Energeia moves to the center position.”

“His attack and defense decrease by 2000 each, and he loses one critical.”

Demios readied a hex in his hands, and threw it at the large dragon. “Purgatorial Decay!”

“Demios and Deathgaze, link attack the fighter!”

“Energeia revives with Soulguard.”

“Deathgaze’s ability removes one of your gauge and deals you one damage! Demios’ ability also activates, destroying Energeia and dealing you another point of damage.”

“Soulguard.”

I sighed. “And that’s our turn.”

Dray - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
4/2/3 - 3/6/1

Dray knew that we couldn’t defeat him that turn, and he also knew that we couldn’t take anymore of Energeia’s attacks. He knew we were done for.

“Draw, charge and draw. I pay two gauge to cast **Demon Lord’s Roaring Dragon Blast** , which destroys all cards on your field and allows me to draw for each card destroyed.”

“Demios revives with Soulguard!”

Dray shrugged. “I draw. Cast, **Dragosucceed**. By destroying Energeia, who revives with his last soul card, I gain two life and gauge charge equal to his size. I pay one gauge to cast **Double Loss** ; since a card on my field was destroyed, I get to remove a soul card from Demios and destroy him!”

“Demios!” I shouted as he left the field permanently.

“Energeia, attack the fighter!”

The proceeding blow almost sent me flying backwards, if not for it being superstitial.

“Double Attack!”

“AHHH!” I screamed as the final blow connected.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Dray Rüstung._

I was back at home now. After the fight, Dray had banned us from the club, and refused to tell us anything about how he became partners with Energeia. With no other options, we decided to head back. It wasn’t as if we had any other choice; we had lost the duel. As much as I wanted to find out more, I wasn’t dishonorable.

Demios was currently pacing about my room, likely distraught over the fact that we had lost.

However, it wasn’t his fault: it was mine. “I’m sorry, Demios, you were right. I was too excited to face him, and I let that cloud my judgement. Now he knows that we have a connection to the Armordeities, too, while we don’t know jack all about him.” I hung my head in shame.

Demios stopped pacing and sighed. “No, we are both at fault here. We had no way of knowing Energeia was his Buddy, nevertheless, we weren’t strong enough. If we can’t defeat an Armordeity, we will never accomplish our goal.” As he was finishing his sentence, he walked over to the side of the bed where I was sitting. He jumped up and picked a spot right next to me. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

I picked my head up in realization, and saw Demios slightly smirking, which prompted a smile of my own. “It’s time to get to work, right?” Upon him nodding, I slowly rose and stretched. “Alright, let’s do this!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, Marx here again. Got another chapter for you guys, hope you enjoy it. Just a fair warning, I think I might have to start retconning some minor details to fit where I want the narrative to go. I hope you guys don't mind too much. Hopefully it'll pay off in the end! Anyway, disclaimers and stuff still apply, as they always do. If you want to know what they are, just go check a previous chapter where I wrote them all down.
> 
> I think that's it for today, so i'll see you guys next time with another chapter. See ya!


	9. Team Training, Origin of Purgatory!

“It’s time for your world to end! At the end of the attack phase, if there are five or more cards in World End’s soul, all cards on your field are destroyed, and your life becomes one! The effect of **Purgatory Demonic Swordsman** is chained, destroying **Purgatory Demon Lord, Demios** to burn you for the final point of damage!”

“Hahhh, you win this round.”

I put down my remaining hand cards and proceeded to clean up the board. For the past few hours, me and Demios had been fighting against each other to practice; he used our Purgatory Knights deck, while I used our Demon Lord deck. We tried out different combos and strategies, while also testing for weak points in each of the decks. Ironically, we each managed to rack up eight wins and eight losses. So, generally, it seemed like both decks were performing at about the same pace.

While I was relatively indifferent about this conclusion, my aforementioned partner was not. While I continued to gather up the cards left on the tabletop and sort them back into their respective decks, Demios had stood up and started pacing around the room, clearing frustrated about something.

“What’s wrong?” I asked out of curiosity. “Both of the decks are performing the same, which means neither are necessarily weak.”

Not expecting me to speak up, the small gray dragon slightly hopped in surprise. However, it didn’t help his mood much. “That’s exactly the problem! Don’t you see? If neither deck is objectively terrible, it means there’s something wrong with the people using them.”

The statement stunned me. “Wait, what do you mean?”

Demios sighed. “We strengthened both of those decks greatly over time, and yet obstacles still seem to stand in our way. Even when I achieved an evolution, the problem still persisted.

Evolution. Now that was a word that brought back memories. I closed my eyes in a moment of thought, before opening them to see Demios looking out the window, blankly staring into the outside world.

I decided it would be best to voice my current thoughts out loud. “Heh, evolution. I can definitely remember something along those lines happening.”

I had hoped my light, sarcastic tone would brighten the mood a little. Thankfully, it seemed to work. “Along those lines? I wasn’t aware you wouldn’t try to treasure such a memory.”

“Hey now!” I retorted in response to the playful jab. “Of course I would. I remember everything about our partnership, even back to when we first met.”

The dragon nodded. “Yes, that was a significant day indeed.” He then closed his eyes in recollection, which I proceeded to mimic.

It was a little over a year ago. I had been playing BuddyFight and attending Mr. Castor’s sessions for a few months, but I hadn’t gotten a Buddy of my own yet.

I was travelling through a portal to Darkness Dragon World, in a sort of large gondola-like vehicle. Thanks to advances in political efforts with the other worlds, common citizens were now allowed to travel to each of the eleven worlds, and monsters were allowed to come to Earth freely. The system was being regulated by the newly-formed international branch of the Buddy Police, who had set up several interdimensional transportation centers throughout the world.

The gondola was currently packed with a dozen or so other passengers, but not really crowded. Within a few minutes, we broke through the barrier and entered Darkness Dragon World. It looked as expected from such a name: bleak, dreary, dark, and probably several other gloomy adjectives that I couldn’t name.

We were soon able to get off and explore the world at our own leisure. Our phones were loaded with a custom navigational app that allowed us to locate the attendant should the need arise.

I decided to wander off in my own direction; I had a purpose in mind, but I wasn’t really sure it would be easy to accomplish. Once again, thanks to diplomatic efforts, pulling Buddy Rares now wasn’t the only way to get a Buddy. If a human and a monster both agreed to it, and the Buddy Police had no issue, they could form a contract on their own, and a corresponding Buddy Rare, along with additional regular copies, would be given to the newly-established fighter. It was a pretty neat system, allowing more freedom of choice, which satisfied both humans and monsters equally.

After a few minutes of walking, I found myself in front of a very large castle. It was an… odd formation. Although it looked structurally sound, the construction just looked… off, as if it was built around something rather than just being built on its own. The stone walls cracked with age, while the massive wooden door looked like it was about to fall off its hinges. And yet, it didn’t, as if some type of magic was just barely holding it together.

“Hmm.. interesting. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to check inside.” I said to myself. Luckily, I didn’t have to attempt to pull open something so massive; near the bottom of the stone wall, there was a conveniently human-sized crack where I could fit through without too much difficulty.

The inside definitely looked better than the outside. In fact, it was furnished quite nicely, like you might expect from a castle of the 14th century. The lobby, as it were, had a nice stone floor, certainly less damaged compared to the outside. The walls were lined with several columns of unidentifiable material, as least to me. Off to the sides were several doors, most likely leading to several facilities, such as barracks and the mess hall. What was odd to me, though, was that all of the doors were upscaled, as in bigger than normal. They looked like they weren’t meant for human usage.

Upon further inspection, the lobby seemed to be more of a large hallway, really. In fact, it connected right into the throne room via a large archway. The throne room, however, was even bigger, and instead of throne, it housed a rather… ginormous gathering table; once again, far bigger than any human-sized version. Past that, there was a large door that actually looked relatively new. The wood wasn’t worn down in any area, and it looked fairly sturdy. The hinges even looked oiled, as if this door had seen constant and recent use. Curiosity drove to walk over to the end of the room and pull the door open.

What awaited me, however, was something I could never have expected.

The door opened up to reveal a very spacious courtyard with not much to it, other than a bed of grass. However, standing on said grass, was maybe a dozen or so dragons brandishing weapons of various categories. Each one was paired off with someone else, attacking each other with their arms and armor, although, not with the intent to kill. They were practicing. They all wore black medieval-styled armor with gold trimming and highlights; some of them even gave off menacing auras of differing colors.

Luckily, since the door was so well oiled, they hadn’t noticed my entry. But I wasn’t going to back down from this opportunity. One of these dragons could potentially be my future Buddy, and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity go to waste. I trudged over into the center of the courtyard, my small comparative size lending well to stealth. As soon as I got there, I took of a deep breath, and brought up as much confidence as I could. First impressions are everything, after all.

“Heyy!”

Nothing. The clanging of metal and magic continued, likely drowning out any chance I had of getting their attention. Nevertheless, I prepared myself to try again.

“Rrrgh, I said: he–”

“Silence!”

Everything stopped. The tension grew so thick you could cut it with a knife. On the opposite end of the courtyard from where I had entered, there was a large gray dragon sitting on a throne, which was likely taken from the throne room where the table now was. Behind him was a some type of gateway which was currently shaking ominously.

“Fellow brothers-in-arms, a human has wandered into our castle.”

Everyone looked around until they spotted me, not very hard since I was currently standing in the middle of the goddamn area. The gray dragon, who was most likely the leader, got up and started walking towards me.

“You’re either very brave or your very naive to come here. State your purpose.”

I took another deep breath. I couldn’t back down now.

“My name is Leonard Aeolus. I’ve traveled to Darkness Dragon World searching for a Buddy who I can form a contract with. My exploration led me to this castle.”

The dragon closed his eyes, clearly thinking about something. “And now that you are here, what will you do? Unfortunately, we are all occupied with a task greater than you could understand. No one here can fulfill your wishes, human, leave.”

I grew slightly angry. “What makes you think I couldn’t understand? I’ve defeated plenty of opponents both stronger and more intelligent than me, don’t think you’re any different!”

All of the surrounding dragons laughed. The leader, however, stayed solemn. “You are determined, human, i’ll give you that. However, this goes beyond your average, petty squabble. We are fighting for the safety of every world.”

I clenched my fist in front of me. “Let me help you! If we work together, maybe we can accomplish both of our missions.”

“There is no room for debate!” The dragon boomed, making everyone silent again. “You do not understand the risks involved, nor are you worthy of wielding our power! Leave this place, no–”

“That is enough, Demios.”

The most recent voice shocked everyone. Everyone looked to the corner of the courtyard, where a lone dragon resided.

“Malice Force, what is the meaning of this?”

The dragon, now named Malice Force, exited from the shadows. “I could ask the same of you, friend.” He sighed. “What has happened to our humanity, Demios? Cursed as we may be, the Purgatory Knights made an oath to protect the denizens of the other worlds. How can you say we still fight for such a noble cause when we’re willing to shun the very people we vowed to protect?”

Demios sighed. “What would you propose, then? Do you truly believe this human can wield our power effectively?”

“I _believe_ that he can give us back our connection to the people. We can all be taught to swing a sword, friend, but the same can’t be said when it comes to forming bonds.”

Demios then walked over to me. “Alright then, human. We have decided to give you a chance. May our partnership be fruitful.”

He then extended a hand to me, which I took earnestly. “Likewise, um, Demios, I believe?”

He chuckled lightly. Which must have been a rare occurrence, because all of the other knights grew shocked upon him doing so. “My full name is **Purgatory Knights Leader, Demios Sword Dragon**. Say it with pride.”

“Hah, we’ll see.”

Just then, a brilliant light emerged from the sky. The clouds parted as a blue beam shot down into the center of the courtyard. From the clouds descended a massive violet dragon, wielding multiple glowing swords of various color. It was a very iconic figure: a legendary Armordeity.

“A-A-Armordeity, Dynamis!” Demios stammered. “What are you doing here?!”

“I am here to congratulate you, Demios.” Dynamis spoke with a very serene tone. “Although you may not think so, a Buddy will help you grow even stronger than you are now. He will push you to new heights.”

“How so?” Demios inquired.

“Like this.” Dynamis stated, as she brandished one of her glowing blades. From the receding flames, a small rectangular object formed, a card. It then flew straight into my hands. Then, Demios started glowing until only his general shape was visible. When he reappeared, he looked very different. “You have now evolved, and gained a new form. As the bond between the two of you grows, you may evolve again. However, it will not be an easy journey. Regardless, from this day forward, you will now be known as **The Foundation of Purgatory Knights, Lord Demios**. Wear the name proudly.” And with that, she flew off into the clouds again.

I opened my eyes, and found myself back in my room. Demios sighed in recollection. “Yes, that was the day both of our lives changed. For the next year, up to this very day, we’ve been trying to grow stronger and stronger, searching for that next evolution.”

I chuckled. “Yeah… I feel like we’re so close, and we’re just missing one little thing.”

“Indeed.”

Things then grew silent for a little while. Demios and I looked out the window, not really looking at anything in particular. We were both thinking hard, trying to theorize what it could be that we were missing.

After a few minutes, I decided that I had something that I needed to say. “Hey, Demios. You know how we decided to partner up to become stronger? It was because we both had a goal in mind that we wanted to accomplish, right?”

“Yes, why?” He looked at me.

“Well, I just realized that we never told each other what our goals were. And, i’m just curious. You don’t mind, right?”

“Hm. You’re right about that. I don’t see why not.” Then, he took a deep breath. “I’ll start first, I suppose. It may come as a shock for you to learn that I am not originally from Darkness Dragon World.”

It assumption was correct. “Wait, what?! But you’re not even a dual card, how are you not from Darkness Dragon World?”

“Most of us are originally from Dragon World. Long ago, we went on an expedition to Darkness Dragon World. What we found was a lost legion of knights, their fighting style too barbaric to be orthodox; they sacrificed each other to power themselves up. After crossing blades with them, we returned home. However, some time later, a gate opened up in Dragon World. Immediately, countless creatures from Darkness Dragon World began pouring out, terrorizing the citizens. In order to put a stop to it, we all gathered together and dove into the portal, sealing it from the inside. However, we had no way of returning home. Furthermore, by entering the portal, we had been cursed to never age. We knew the portal couldn’t stay closed forever, so we used this curse to our advantage; for years on end, we stood guard, making sure the portal wouldn’t open again. Eventually, we began to adopt the tactics used by our demonic successors. The memories of the old Purgatory Knights faded from Dragon World’s history, and so did our connection to it. So, now we are Darkness Dragon World monsters, our goal being to permanently seal the portal so that we can return home. Until then, we will never stop fighting. No matter how much time passes, no matter how many people forget us, we will never forget our goal.”

I couldn’t speak after such an explanation. After staying silent for a few minutes, Demios took it as a cue to speak. “And that’s how it goes. I could describe how many of our comrades met their demise, or how some couldn’t take the torment anymore, and decided to take matters into their own hands. I could bore you with many more emotional hardships of our legion, but perhaps another time.”

I looked away. “Heh, even without such details, that story still brings a tear to my eye.”

“Well, enough about me. So tell me: why do you fight?”

I wiped the tear from my eye and steeled myself. “Well, let me say this: it’s not a grandiose tale of swords and blood like yours, but it’s still important to me. But I digress. Back when I was little, I always used to watch the championship matches on the internet, it was so enthralling to see BuddyFighters of that level clash in a battle of strength, skill, and wit. I aspired to be just like them, so much so that I never stopped talking about it at school.”

My face grew dark. “Well, eventually, people got a little tired of that. One group in particular, some school-renown bullies, if I recall correctly, cornered me during a passing period. They berated me, saying that I would never be as good as the fighters online. I lashed out at them, but they overwhelmed me. After kicking the absolute shit out of me, they took my deck. They could have just stolen it, but no, they went even further. They ripped every single card up right in front of me. I was in tears. From that day forth I vowed to grow stronger than every single one of them, to become a champion and prove them wrong. There’s more to it than that, but that’s what i’m comfortable sharing at this time.”

After I finished my tale, I let out a heavy sigh. “So, there’s my closet of skeletons. Maybe not as suspenseful as yours, but it’s why I fight, and I don’t regret it one bit.”

Demios was silent. I couldn’t see his face, so I couldn’t tell if it was out of shock or indifference. After a while, though, he began to speak. “Your story is a heavy one, as well. It’s not about whose story is more sorrowful. We fight for different reasons, yes, but we come together for a common purpose: to grow stronger.”

I chuckled. “And because we’re friends. At least, I hope we’ve grown to that point.”

Demios thought for a second, but then agreed. “Indeed. I’ve also come to treasure our relationship.” Although, his tone was a bit quieter than normal.

“Aw, are you getting a little red? I never thought the ‘great Demios Sword Dragon’ could be embarrassed!”

“S-Silence!” His voice rose, but we could both tell we were joking around.

After a while, I spoke up again. “Hey, Demios, why don’t we make a new pact? To replace the old one we made that we made over a year ago?”

Demios looked up at me. “I don’t see any problem with that, but why do you wish to do so?”

“Well, we’ve both grown up a lot, in our own ways. Before, we only partnered up to become stronger. But now, we’re a real team. So I thought that we could redo our partnership seal. What do you think?”

Demios smiled. “I think it’s a great idea. You can start.”

I stood up and turned towards my companion. “We’ve both had dark moments in our history, and though we have come together to grow stronger to correct those mistakes…”

Demios mimicked my actions. “We now fight for a renewed purpose, and have only grown stronger because of our bond…”

“So now, let our bond grow even stronger, so that we may face any obstacle together, as a team…”

“Because two heads are better than one, especially when it’s a human and a dragon, because people and monsters will always be equal, as long as they stand…”

“As Buddies!” We both declared, as we clasped our hands in union, just savoring the moment. Then we realized that we had maintained that stance for a few minutes and burst out laughing. It gave me a very… comfy feeling. Like we had finally really connected.

Just as we broke away from each other, I was blinded by a bright light.

“What… what is this?”

After most of the light had cleared, I took my arms away from eyes. Demios had evolved.

“We… we did it Leon!”

Demios was so stunned by his transformation that he could barely get the words out. Truth be told, I was just as, if not more, shocked than he was.

“I knew you had it in you, Buddy.”

Demios smiled in his new attire. “No, _we_ had it in us all along. Our exchange of condolences must have brought about this new evolution, strengthening our bond.”

The I noticed four cards floating around him, which I picked out of the air. They were all the same card, and they depicted Demios’ evolution.

“Huh. **Purgatory Knights Leader of Condolence, Geist Demios** , fitting.”

“Indeed.” Then, he grinned. “Well, we can’t just let this new form go to waste, can we? Feel like doing a test drive?”

I looked at him and imitated his grin. “Haha, I like the way you think. Let’s do it.”

And so we set off to find one of our teammates to practice with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's going on everybody, Marx here with a super-fast chapter! But don't worry, I took a lot of care writing this one. I had a bunch of extra free time available to me, and I spent most of it writing, so I hope you enjoy! If you don't, then tell me what I can do better! I always appreciate feedback, as it helps me improve, so if you have any: leave it down in the comments below!
> 
> If you like my story, then go check out GoshdarnRabbit's BuddyFight - Karras Academy. It's the story that inspired me to create this one, so i'm sure you'll love it. And, of course, if you have any criticism for my story, be sure to leave it down below like before!
> 
> I think that's it for today, so i'll see you next time! See ya!


	10. Team Training, Origin of Dueling!

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Leon Aeolus._

As the dust cleared, I scratched my head. “Damn… that’s the third loss in a row today.”

As I was mulling over my own loss, I saw the aforementioned winner of the match approach me. He held out his hand to help me up.

“Good game, Seth.”

I accepted his offer and pulled myself up. “Haha, you’re telling me! I gotta say, Leon, your new deck is something to be terrified of. I’m not sure i’ll ever be able to keep up now.

Leon cracked a smile. “Nonsense, you’re still a valuable asset to our team. If we’re going to win regionals, we’ll all need to work together.”

“Right!” I replied, appreciative of my teammates kind words.

Leon then looked at his phone, presumably checking the time. “Well, i’ve gotta get going. I’ll see you later, Seth.”

“Sure thing. See ya later.” We bumped fists, and I watched as Leon got into his car and rode off for home, or wherever it was he was going.

I sighed. “Guess I should get going, too.” I trudged over to the parking lot, taking the time to just enjoy my surroundings. After unlocking the door and jumping in, I laid my Core Deck Case on the dashboard. Demongodol was currently resting in his card form inside of my deck; he had received a lot of punishment today, he deserved the rest.

For a moment, I just sat there in my car, not really thinking about anything in particular. I let my mind drift through the endless sea of thoughts, eventually landing on the matches that I had just faced Leon in. Even if I tried not to think about, the dreaded thought kept invading my mind: was I falling behind my allies?

I decided to shelter thought until I got on the road. After all, it wasn’t a busy day, so I wouldn’t have to pay too much attention to the road. Once I did so, I started thinking aloud.

“Man, Leon’s deck is more fearsome than ever with his new upgrades, Matt just obtained his Buddy, and it’s already really powerful. What do I have, though? What do _we_ have, Demongodol?”

Even though he couldn’t hear me, I still felt like I should address him. After all, he was my Buddy, my faithful companion.

The ride home was a lot faster than usual, probably because my mind was preoccupied with other topics of interest. Once I greeted my parents at the door, I resigned myself to my room.

After quickly changing into more comfortable clothes and getting some refreshments, I sat down at my computer desk. For what seemed like a few minutes, I just started whirling around in my leather chair, a typical office appliance. However, I quickly stopped lest I get dizzy from the process, opting instead to lean backwards in thoughtlessness. Or, at least, that’s what I wanted to do. But, like before, my mind brought me back to today’s events.

“Rrrr…”

I was broken out of my thoughts by a low rumbling, almost like a somewhat aggressive form of purring. I looked over to my side; Demongodol had come out of his card and was currently staring at me in his chibi form.

I sighed once more. “Oh, Demongodol, if only you could still talk.”

That was a day I was sure to remember. It was the day that Demongodol evolved into his Thunder Empire form. And because of his newly-found raging battle spirit, he became unable to talk. However, I knew that he could still understand me, and I could understand what feelings he was trying to convey… to an extent.

“Hehe, we’ve sure come a long way, haven’t we, partner?” I chuckled. “Remember when you first became my Buddy?”

My companion nodded, and we both let our minds wander back to that fateful day.

I had just exited the local card shop, clutching a single booster pack that I had managed to secure. Class had just been let out, and a ton of students had soon flooded the local card shop, hot on the heels of a restock of one of the most popular booster sets in our town. Luckily, just barely, in fact, I had managed to procure one of my own and was heading to the park so I could open it up.

To my surprise, the park was empty; I knew that it wasn’t exactly the best weather, it was a little chilly out, but I figured there would at least be a few kids meandering about just after school ended.

Either way, I plopped myself down on one of the benches, and took a deep breath to calm myself.

“Oh man… I can’t wait to open this up. Maybe today’s the day i’ll finally pull a Buddy Rare!” My mind raced with all sorts of possibilities, and it wasn’t until a few minutes passed that I decided to not wait any longer and just open the pack.

I was immediately blinded by a bright flash of light. I was giddy with excitement. “No. Freaking. WAY! Did I just do it, did I pull a Buddy Rare!?”

After the light had subsided, I removed my arm from my face so I could see what had appeared. My eyes were immediately met with the hulking form of a large, six-legged dragon. He was covered in red and gold spikes, and sported numerous wings on his back. His chest also looked like it contained a face separate from his actual head; he looked as if he could cause a natural disaster just by walking.

I was so stunned that I could barely speak. The fact that I had just pulled a Buddy Rare failed to correctly process in my mind. That, and, I was probably subconsciously terrified of the giant dragon in front of me, who was only a few inches away from ripping my face apart, I might add.

A few too many moments of silence must have passed between us, because in response to my silence, he started to speak in a rather irritated voice.

“My name is **Titanic Violent Dragon, Zargilragne** , human. You must be the one who has called upon my power.”

“Y-Y-Yes! I’m the one who pulled you from the booster pack! My name is Seth Demeter!”

The dragon known as Zargilragne proceeded to lean in and look me over. “Hah! Are you really sure that you’re capable of wielding my power?”

I was speechless. I had never heard of Buddy confrontations going this way, so I had no idea on how to respond.

“If you don’t want him as a Buddy, then why don’t you team up with me, dragon?”

A new voice emerged, originating the to the left of me. I quickly looked over and saw a girl walking towards us.

Zargilragne started laughing. “Well, well, well. Aren’t you a forceful one. You really believe that you can just come up and demand to be my Buddy?”

The girl flashed a cocky grin. “What makes you think that I can’t? I can certainly run circles around this chump, that’s for sure.”

“N-N-Now wait j-j-just a minute!” I managed to belt out. “I’m the one who pulled Zargilragne from the pack, you can’t just take him from me!”

“Oh, really?” The girl continued. “How about we have a fight then, to see who’s more worthy of using this violent dragon’s power?”

“I have no objections to that.” Zargilragne interjected.

“You’re on!” I said. “There’s no way i’m losing when the chance to make my very first Buddy is on the line!”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Mysterious Challenger._

And yet, I did lose. I lost the match, and I lost my potential Buddy to the girl who showed up out of the blue.

As I hung my head in defeat, on my knees in despair, I heard the girl in question walk up to me.

“By the way, the name’s Rika. Rika Cylene, be sure to remember it, not that you’ll be able to wipe this from your memory so easily.” She then walked away while cackling maliciously.

One she was out of sight, I shifted position until I was sitting on the ground, head still hung slightly in despair. “Damnit… how could this have happened? I’ll never forgive her…”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the pack I had opened, lying on the ground. I must have dropped it after Zargilragne appeared. What I didn’t expect to see, however, was it glowing. Out of both curiosity and bewilderment, I picked it up and saw a card in question, that card was the source of the glowing. Upon pulling it out of the pack, I was blinded by a bright light, eventually subsiding and being replaced with a small silhouetted figure.

“And that’s you and I met, Demongodol.” I said I shifted back to reality. “You saw what I was going through and wanted to help me. And ever since then, we’ve been an amazing team!”

My companion nodded, and I continued on. “You know what? That’s it. I shouldn’t be moping just because i’ve lost a few matches here and there. There’s still many more matches that we’ll have the chance to win, and that’s not gonna be possible if we just sit here being sad and depressed. Who cares that our friends have evolved, we’ll just have to evolve even harder!”

It was then that I was blinded by a familiar flash of light, and what replaced was my Buddy, looking pretty much no different that how he looked before. However, he held a card in his hand, which he offered to me.

“No way… I never thought we’d get one of these cards.” I then smiled, which it seemed like I hadn’t done so in forever. “Alright, Demongodol, eyes up; we’ve got work to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Marx here again!
> 
> Wow, it's been a long time since i've posted a chapter, huh? Really sorry about that, a lot of stuff came up in my personal life that I had to take care of before I could find time to work on this story. But, now that i've had a bit of time, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It is a little shorter than usual, but hopefully you guys still find it interesting.
> 
> Anyway, with that out of the way, let's move on to the usual disclaimers. As always, be sure to leave me any criticism you have, it helps me improve immensely! Also, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the works by GoshdarnRabbit, as he's the one who inspired me to write this. I guarantee you'll love them!
> 
> I actually have quite a bit of free time coming up in the following days, so hopefully i'll be able to use that effectively to write some more stuff for you guys. Either way, I hope you have a great day/afternoon/evening, whatever it is you're currently experiencing. And i'll see ya later!


	11. Illinois Regionals Round 1!

“So, how is everyone doing back there?”

“This is amazing, teach! You never told us you had an RV!”

Currently, the Nexus Enforcers were en route to the Illinois regional tournament. What I didn’t expect, however, was for Mr. Castor to take Leon, Seth, and I and drive us there in a freaking RV, like we were going on some sort of cross-country road trip.

“Haha! Glad to see you’re enjoying it Seth.”

Everyone was in pretty high spirits for the ride. Particularly Seth, whose deck had apparently gotten even better following the next evolution of his Buddy, Demongodol. Adding together Leon, whose deck also got an upgrade thanks to Demios’ recent form change, and me just obtaining a powerful Buddy like Net not too long ago, we felt unbeatable.

“Now, I know you guys must be feeling pretty on top of the world, given your recent efforts, but never forget that BuddyFight is a game where anything can happen. Never underestimate your opponent, and _especially_ never overestimate yourself.”

“Oh, come on, Mr. Castor.” Leon replied, adding in a cocky grin for even more emphasis. “You said it yourself: we’ve gotten way stronger since we began. And besides, i’ve been to nationals before, I know what the competition is like.”

Seth almost choked on the salisbury steak he was currently eating; in preparation for the trip, Mr. Castor had bought up a bunch of TV dinners and 12-packs of various drinks and placed them in the fridge, and/or freezer, of his RV. “Oh yeah, I completely forgot! Leon, you can give us all sorts of tips and tricks regarding how to face the competition, you’re the most experienced with that sort of thing.”

Leon, obviously enjoying the praise, kept on grinning away. “Oh, definitely. I’ll take you under my wing and teach you everything I know.”

While my two companions started engaging in a conversation regarding Leon’s experiences in other tournaments, I felt one of my pockets vibrate. Pulling the PDA in question out, I saw Net on the screen.

“Geez, talk about being overconfident. Doesn’t he know that no two tournaments are ever alike?”

I chuckled awkwardly. “Hey, at least it’s nice to have a past perspective, right?”

For the rest of the ride, our whole group continued chatting about mundane things, occasionally looking out the window and commenting on the various things we saw.

Another hour or so passed before we entered the village of Rosemont, Illinois. It was a quaint place, perfect for the hotel industry since it rested very close to the famous O’Hare National Airport in Chicago. That’s not what we were here for, though. Our destination was the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, where the tournament would be taking place. It was only a few more minutes before we pulled up, registered for the tournament, and were sitting in the waiting room, ready to take the stage at any minute.

The first round started off with a bang. We were up against Team Alternate Flag, a group centered a theme of only using non-contemporary flags, like Parade of Hundred Demons and Dragon Ein. I had currently just won the first match against a Chaos user, and Seth was slated to fight the second opponent.

Given that so many matches were going on at the same time, we didn’t have the attention of the commentator since we were a no-name team who hadn’t generated any press yet; from what I could tell, though, the commentator in question looked to be a twenty-something-year-old man who was currently riding around in some sort of transforming car.

“Alright, it’s my turn, wish me luck guys!” Seth bellowed, knocking me out of my mind’s inner machinations.

“Heh, you’ve got this, Seth. We trust you.” Leon replied, throwing a thumbs up in confirmation.

“Yeah! Go and show them what you’re made of!” I chimed in, causing Seth to offer me a fist bump, which I gladly returned before he set off for the stage. We quickly tuned in to our stage’s channel on the TV so that we could watch his match live. Once Seth and his opponent, a girl named Sadie, took the stage, the referee stepped up to begin the fight.

“The second match of the first round between Team Nexus Enforcers and Team Alternate Flag shall now begin! Seth Demeter shall be taking the first turn. Both fighters please luminize!”

“A violent display rocks the field, watch the dragons of martial law shake the heavens with their mighty fists! Luminize: Draconic Ragnarök!”

“Let the roars of a thousand dragons transcend space and time, as they heed the call to battle! Luminize: Eternity of Dragons!”

“Buddy… Fight!”

And our next match kicked off. It was a very intense game, a massive war of attrition as each fighter sustained as much of their board as possible while slowly dwindling down the opponent’s forces. Sadie was playing a Neodragon Zwei deck focused on maintaining large field presence using Ewigkeit. Eventually, though, it came down to the last few turns.

Seth - Sadie  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/1/3 - 6/2/6

“It’s my turn!” Sadie announced. “Draw, charge and draw. I call **Retainer of the Demonic Dragon, Destructor** to the left, activating his ability to draw two cards by paying two life. I also pay one life to call **Style of Impact, Bal Dragon** to the right, activating his ability to gauge charge three upon entry. Then i’ll replace Destructor with **Sphere Cemetery, Star Remnant**. Due to his ability, I only have to pay two gauge to call back my Buddy, **Transcend Star Dragon Emperor, Ewigkeit** , to the field, sending the top card of deck into his soul in the process!”

Sadie’s Buddy took the stage for the second time in the match, landing on her center position while Bal left the field due to the size limit. Armed with four arms and numerous wings of green, Ewigkeit’s new form was not to be scoffed at.

“Damn, not again!” Seth shouted, his defense already starting to crumble due to Ewigkeit’s first appearance.

“Finally, i’ll call **Retainer of the Demonic Dragon, Curse Dragon Jr.** to the right position. Ewigkeit, attack the fighter!”

“I cast **Battle Spirit Unite**! For this turn, **Thunderbolt Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** ’s defense increases by the power of my **Eighth Omni Spear, Stormthrust**! Meaning, combined with the boost he gets from **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** being in his soul, Demongodol’s defense jumps to thirteen thousand!”

“Rrrgh, Ewigkeit’s ability activates, which allows me to send the top three cards of my deck to the drop zone. Then, I can call up to one monster that was sent by paying it’s call cost; the monster also becomes size zero until they leave the field. I call Bal Dragon back to the right, retiring Curse Dragon Jr.”

“Demongodol, Counterattack!”

After dodging several claw swipes from Ewigkeit, Demongodol mounted the futuristic Dragon Lord’s shoulder, and delivered a barrage of punches directly to his face, finishing with a strong right hook that forced out Ewigkeit’s soul card.

“Even with a link attack, I can’t get over that Duel Dragon’s defense anymore. I’ll have to bet everything on this.”

“Haha! Just come at us, there’s no way you’re breaking through Demongodol’s iron barrier!” Seth goaded, feeling that victory was all but assured.

“We’ll see about that! Final Phase!”

“Wait, what?!”

“That’s right! I pay two gauge to transform Ewigkeit into an Impact Monster!”

“No way, she has one, too!?”

“Impact Call to the center: **Zenislator, “Rain the Vertex!”** Whenever Zenislator attacks, if I have six monsters with Dragon in their attribute in my drop zone, I can destroy one monster on the field. And Zenislator has Double Attack!”

“This looks bad.” Seth said, as he now faced down the dragon that looked more machine than creature.

“Zenislator and Bal: do a link attack on Demongodol, with Zenislator’s ability destroying Demongodol a second time!”

“Damn it! Not only is Demongodol out of soul cards, but he lost the boost from Origin Demongodol, which means her second attack will have enough power!”

“That’s right! Zenislator and Star Remnant: link attack Demongodol again; Zenislator’s ability destroys the **Retainer of the Demonic Dragon, Girielka** on your left!”

“At least **Starved Yamigedo** netted me four gauge, but what am I going to do with an empty field and two defense spells?” Seth thought.

“That’s the end of my turn.” Sadie announced.

Seth - Sadie  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/1/2 - 2/1/3

“No! I can’t be thinking like that. BuddyFight is all about grasping that lucky chance, just like Mr. Castor told us! So that’s what i’ll do!” Seth thought.

“It’s my move!” He declared. “Draw! Charge and… draw!” His eyes then went wide as he saw what he drew. “This is perfect!”

“Did he really draw something to win the game?” Sadie pondered to herself.

“First I call Origin Demongodol to the right area! His ability allows me to search out another Demongodol card, so i’ll search out another copy of himself.”

“Wait, what? He’s not fetching the evolved form of his Buddy?”

“Then i’ll call that card to the left. Finally, I pay two gauge to turn the Origin Demongodol on my right into the Thunderbolt Demongodol I drew at the start of my turn!”

“Impossible! You drew both forms of your Buddy at the same time?!” Sadie yelled, utterly flabbergasted at his declaration.

“You’re damn right I did!” Seth replied. “And they’re going to win me the game! Thunderbolt Demongodol, attack Zenislator!”

“Not so fast, Zenislator also has Soulguard!” Sadie responded as her Impact Monster remained on the field.

“Alright, then me and Origin Demongodol will do a link attack!”

Sadie then smiled. “Ha, you had me scared for a minute there, but it looks like you’re all out of steam!”

“Are you sure about that?” Seth inquired.

“What are you talking about?”

“It seems that you’ve forgotten.” Seth then shot out a hand, pointing directly at Sadie. “Whenever Stormthrust destroys an opponent’s monster by battle, it gains the Double Attack ability!”

“N-No way!”

“Yes way!” Seth shouted, grinning from ear to ear. “This will finish it!” He then pitched his spear in his most enthusiastic throw of all time.

“Damn itttttt!!!”

GAME OVER. WINNER: Seth Demeter.

“Haha, I did it!”

“Great job, Seth!” I yelled at the monitor, completely forgetting we were watching him from the waiting room.

“Heh, you did good, Seth.” Leon concurred.

And with that, we rocketed off to the second round of the Illinois regional tournament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Marx here!
> 
> Wow, it's been a while, hasn't it? I want to sincerely apologize for such a delay between chapters, life got the better of me several times over the past few weeks. But, i'm back and better than ever! I'm all fired up and ready to start writing some new chapters for this story. So, if you're hyped as well, then please help me out by leaving any type of feedback on this chapter. I want to grow as a writer as much as possible, and hearing what you guys have to say is gonna help me out a ton!
> 
> In other news, make sure you read a previous chapter's disclaimers to know where this story got inspired, and make sure to go check that out! But, besides that, I hope to see you guys next chapter for the second round of the first major tournament. See ya later!


	12. Illinois Regionals Round 2!

After Seth had gotten us past the first round with his victory over Team Alternate Flag, we were given a short break before moving onto the second round. In the meantime, we took the opportunity to discuss new strategies and who we would be facing next.

We were all gathered in the waiting room; Mr. Castor in particular stood near one of the ends of the room with a whiteboard attached to the wall. “Alright, Matt and Seth, you’ve done great so far, but don’t get overconfident. The first round is always the round that weeds out the cocky challengers from the serious ones; from this point on, the battles will only get harder.” We all nodded in confirmation. “With that being said, let’s discuss our next opponents.” In continuation, he picked up a remote and turned on a projector attached to the ceiling, which was also currently hooked up to his laptop.

“Your opponents for the second round will be Team Heroic Justice, a Hero World-centric team focused on using three different archetypes of the Brave Machine attribute: Battle Poets, Beast Deities, and Ride-Changers.”

Upon hearing this, we all grew intrigued.

“That’s an… interesting concept, to say the least.” Leon muttered, who was leaning against the wall opposite to where Mr. Castor was positioned.

“Heh, i’ll say.” Seth concurred. “Well, at least they have a solid theme! Right, Matt?”

“Mmm…” I replied, lost in thought. “They still might be powerful; we shouldn’t underestimate them just yet.”

“I agree with Matt.” A voice from the corner resounded. It was Demios, who hadn’t uttered a word since he had begun practicing his swordplay all the way back when I had just started my match. “An enemy is still and enemy, no matter how unorthodox they may seem.”

“Ha! At least some people have sense here.” Net chimed in, his PDA currently resting on the coffee table in the center of the room.

“Well, in any case…” Mr. Castor interjected, reeling the conversation back before things got out of hand. “Be aware that each of the archetypes have the Ride ability, meaning you’ll potentially have to smash through _both_ a bulky center monster, and the opponent’s own defense if they decide to go on guard. Please, remember to use your resources wisely, and go for damage whenever you have an opportunity.”

“Yes, sir!” We all resounded.

Afterwards, we made small talk until the second round kicked off. Being our forerunner and the most knowledgeable about Hero World’s inner workings, I managed to secure our first win against Team Heroic Justice’s Ride-Changer user. Next up was Leon and the Kaizerion user, a college kid named Klaus.

“Well, I guess i’m up next.” Leon said as he started to leave the waiting room.

“You got this, Leon! Go kick their rear ends!” Seth hollered, throwing his fist up in the air.

“Hah, I was going to do it anyway.”

“Good luck, Leon.” I chimed in, which prompted a nod from the Purgatory Knights user.

“Let us do battle, then.” Demios urged. And with that, they took the stage.

“The second match of the second round between Team Nexus Enforcers and Team Heroic Justice shall now begin! Klaus Schmidt shall be taking the first turn. Both fighters please luminize!”

“When the powers of god, animal, and machine combine, the true sword king appears! Luminize: Great Sword Buster!”

“Bonds that are eternal, surviving in the deepest of darknesses, we rise! Luminize: Purgatory Oath!”

“Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“Justice favors those who fight for Hero World!”

“We fight for Darkness Dragon World.”

“Justice has the first move!” Klaus announced. “Draw, charge and draw. First i’ll pay one gauge to cast **Call, Super Machine!** to fetch a Brave Machine from my deck. Then i’ll pay two gauge to Ride into **Great Sword Deity, Kaizerion**!”

The stage was immediately rocked by a colossal robot landing in the center. The monster, presumably Kaizerion, lowered his hand for Klaus to jump onto, who then proceeded to enter the cockpit located in Kaizerion’s head.

“Jeez, talk about overcompensating. What is this, Power Rangers?” Leon said.

“Don’t underestimate him.” Demios chided.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

“I’m not done yet!” Klaus shouted, his voice now resounding through some sort of microphone. “Kaizerion’s ability adds one Brave Machine from the drop zone into his soul. Next i’ll cast **Hyper Energy** to gauge charge four. Now it’s time to show you what justice can really do!”

“What the hell is this guy planning?” Leon muttered.

“I pay two more gauge to Buddy Ride!”

“What?!”

Demios went into a defensive stance next to Leon. “Be careful, it looks like something big is coming!”

“It’s time to super combine! I evolve Great Kaizerion into **Super Sword Deity, King Kaizerion**!”

Kaizerion was then enveloped in a white light. When it vanished, it was even more intimidating than before; he now wielded an even larger sword and was furnished with gold metal highlights. Klaus’ life also went up due to the Buddy Gift in the process.

“Next i’ll pay one life to cast **It’s Superhero Time!!** After checking the top three cards of my deck, one is added to my hand, and the rest go to my gauge. It’s time for action!” Kaizerion began to lift up his enormous blade.

“Cast! **Black Dragon Shield**!”

Kaizerion lowered his sword. “I end my turn for now, then.”

Klaus - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/4/4 - 11/2/5

“Heh, you may have given us a bit of a scare, but now it’s our turn! Draw, charge and draw. It’s time for you to shine, Demios!”

“Right!”

“I Buddy Call **Purgatory Knights Leader of Condolence, Geist Demios** to the right!”

As Demios took his position, he revealed his new form. Although his armor had mostly remained the same, he had swapped out his second sword for three different flames, each glowing a different color: red, blue, and purple. He also had four discs attached to his feet reminiscent of his old partner’s Buddy Skill.

“Then i’ll set **Purgatory Hymn, “Tune of Cursed Endless Battles”** and call **Purgatory Knights, Eval Grebe Dragon** to the left. Demios and Eval Grebe: do a link attack on the fighter!”

“No matter what, justice will prevail!” Klaus shouted as he took the hit from the two dragons.

“Demios’ ability activates, destroying Eval Grebe to draw card; Eval Grebe’s effect also allows me to draw another card, and Hymn’s effect lets me gain one life by milling the top card of my deck. That’s my turn.” Leon concluded.

Klaus - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
7/4/4 - 13/3/5

“Now it’s time for our dramatic counterattack!” Klaus began. “Draw, and charge and draw. I call **Rescue Dragon, Fire Brigade** to the left. Upon entry, Fire Brigade lets me send a card from my drop zone into Kaizerion’s soul by paying one life. Now that Kaizerion has three soul cards, his solo attacks can’t be nullified!”

“Come at us, there’s no way you’ll be able end the game this turn!”

“I’m not done! I send the **Bird Deity, Sabird** from my hand into Kaizerion’s soul. Then, by paying one gauge while I have six life or less, Kaizerion gains Double Attack!”

Leon facepalmed. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Hahahahaha! Fire Brigade: attack the fighter!”

“You’re gonna have to do better than that!” Leon remarked as he took the hit.

“Just watch! Next i’ll attack you!”

“Damn, I guess that sword isn’t just for looks.” Leon said as he recovered from another blow.

“Double Attack!”

“Leon, watch out!” Demios urged from the sidelines.

“Not again. Arrrggh!”

Klaus was breathing a little heavier than normal. “And… that’s our turn.”

Klaus - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/4/3 - 3/3/5

“Are you okay?” Demios asked, looking over to Leon, who was now kneeling on the ground.

Leon grinned. “Heh, just fine. Now it’s time to finish this!”

Demios responded with his own smile. “Right!”

“My turn. Draw, charge and draw! Alright, first i’ll pay one gauge to cast **Abyss Symphony** to draw two cards. Then i’ll pay another gauge to equip **Sword of Purgatory Knights Leader, Demios Sword**. Finally, i’ll call **Purgatory Knights, Paindagger Dragon** to the left.”

“Hah, your sword can’t break through Kaizerion’s defense!” Klaus taunted.

“We’ll see about that. Demios and Paindagger: link attack the fighter!”

“Right!” They both shouted, before leaping up to slash at the giant mech.

“Demios’ ability activates, destroying Paindagger to gain another attack; Paindagger’s effect allows me to gauge charge one; Hymn’s effect gives me back another life in exchange for a mill.”

“It’s all useless! You still can’t break thro—”

“I’m not done!” Leon interjected. “Demios Sword’s effect activates, allowing me to draw a card and give any card on my field a power boost of three thousand!”

“W-What?!?!!”

“Demios, let’s finish things off with a link attack!”

“You got it!”

“N-N-No! This can’t be! Justice… has failed?!!?!?!”

GAME OVER. WINNER: Leon Aeolus.

“Yeahaha! That’s the way Leon!” Seth cheered while jumping up and down in joy.

“Nice work, Leon!” I added.

And with that, we pushed on towards the semifinals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Marx here!
> 
> Bet you weren't expecting this, were ya? Well, after receiving some great feedback from a good friend of me who also reads this story, I felt, just, really pumped up and inspired to write the next chapter. So, here we are; I felt like my fingers were literally on fire as I tapped on my keyboard, cranking out these past few pages, so I hope you enjoy them. As always, if you have anything to say, any type of criticism at all, then please, leave it as a comment! I want to improve as a writer as much as possible, and your comments will help me do that exponentially!
> 
> Also, if you didn't know, this story was inspired heavily by BuddyFight - Karras Academy, written by GoshdarnRabbit. So, make sure you go check that piece out, I guarantee you'll love it! Hopefully he'll deliver us chapter 20 before I get around to writing my own chapter 20, haha!
> 
> Anyway, I think that's everything, so i'll see you guys next chapter. See ya later!


	13. Illinois Regionals Semi-finals!

“Ohoh man! I can’t believe we’re actually here, in the semi-finals of a regional tournament!”

Seth was currently pacing around the waiting room in anticipation of our next matchup, and it was very obvious that he was as giddy as he could be.

Leon was in his usual spot, leaning against the back wall of the room. “Hey, come on, don’t sell us short. We’ve trained hard for this thing, and if we work together, then there’s no way we can lose.”

Mr. Castor got up from his chair and addressed us all. “That’s right. You’ve all been working really hard hard to get here. And now that you’re here, the only thing left to do is believe in each other and try your hardest to grasp that lucky chance.” We all nodded in response to his statement.

Seth started pacing around the room even faster. “Ahhh, I can’t wait! I just want to fight already!”

Leon chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance, but remember: Matt is our forerunner.”

“Hahh, yeah, I know, i’m just so excited.” Seth replied, causing all of us laugh slightly.

Leon then perked up and looked towards our teacher. “While we’re on the subject of the semi-finals: who are we facing, anyway?”

In response, our eccentric instructor walked over to his laptop. “Ah, right!” He then turned back towards us. “Your next opponents will be part of Team Hundred Chaos Generals.”

“Hundred Chaos Generals?” I inquired.

“It’s some sort of lore-based team.” Mr. Castor responded. “Basically, each of their Buddies is a Chaosified form of a general who used to serve under the Hundred Demons.”

Leon scoffed. “They’re a lore-based team, and they’ve managed to get this far?”

“Remember what I said about underestimating your foes.” Demios chided.

“Yeah, I know, but still…”

“In any case…” Mr. Castor continued. “Just remember to have fun out there, as well!” The intercom then turned on, signifying the start of the semi-finals. “Good luck out there, Matt!”

“You got this, Matt!” Seth encouraged.

“Just don’t mess it up.” Leon concurred with a slight smirk.

“Hah, we knew that from the beginning.” Net chimed in. “Let’s go win this thing, partner!”

“Right!” I replied.

“The first match of the semi-finals between Team Nexus Enforcers and Team Hundred Chaos Generals shall now begin! Matthew Pandora shall be taking the first turn. Both fighters please luminize!”

“Before I do, let me just say this to my opponent: I will not hold back.”

I looked over to my opponent: the Darkness Dragon World user of Team Hundred Chaos Generals, a high-schooler named Derek. He seemed to have a murderous aura about him, almost perfectly reflecting the attitude of his Buddy.

“Oh, um… me too!” I responded, to which Derek simply grunted at.

“Technology is its own world, ever evolving in both good and bad, let’s dive in! Luminize: Network of Battle!”

“The River Styx opens to accomodate all fools who would challenge the Ruler of Perdition! Luminize: Waters of Hades!”

“Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“We’re with Hero World!” I declared.

“We serve under Darkness Dragon World.” My opponent replied.

“I have the first move! Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge and send the top card of my deck into this monster’s soul to call **Computer Warrior, Assemble** to the right, which allows me to cast **Control C** to search another Computer monster from my deck.”

“Is it my time to shine?” Net asked.

“You bet, Net! Let’s do this!”

“Alright!”

“I pay two gauge to Buddy Transform into **Computer Warrior, Netman** , then I activate our Blue Charge!”

“One Computer card from the drop zone is added to our soul, and then we gauge charge one!” Net added, his voice resounding throughout my head.

“Now we attack the fighter!”

“Tch, this will be the last time you inflict damage against me!” Derek responded as my drill made a direct attack.

“I end my turn.” I concluded.

Matt - Derek  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/1/5 - 8/2/6

“Now it’s my turn!” Derek began. “Draw, charge and draw. One gauge to call **Demonic Deity General, Gathura** to the left, then two more gauge to Buddy Call **Hundred Mechs General, CHAOS Gokumengaiou** to the center, sending a card from my drop zone into his soul in the process.

As Derek’s Buddy appeared, I heard Net through the receiver in my helmet. “Jeez… now we know why he’s called the Ruler of Perdition.”

Suffice to say, Net was right. As Gokumengaiou entered the stage, he caused the ground to rumble. He was a purple dragon, only now sporting numerous mechanical upgrades, including two shoulder-mounted cannons designed to look like the faces of dragons, along with piercing yellow eyes.

“When Gokumengaiou is called, I draw cards equal to the number of Hundred Demons monsters on my field, meaning I draw one card; then, since Gokumengaiou is on my center, he gains Double Attack. Gathura: attack the fighter!”

“Not so fast! Since Assemble is on my field while there’s another Computer on the field, all attacks are redirected to him! I also cast **Justice Will Prevail!** to boost his power and defense by three thousand, and give him Counterattack!”

Derek growled as Gathura was destroyed while Assemble was unfazed. “Very well, Gokumengaiou: attack the fighter!”

“Assemble revives with Soulguard!”

“Do it again!”

“Rrr, you did good, Assemble.”

“That’s the end of my turn.”

Matt - Derek  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/1/4 - 9/0/6

“Heh, even if his center is closed off, we can still deal damage to him, right Matt?”

“You got it! My turn; draw, charge and draw. First I cast **Hyper Energy** to gauge charge four, then I activate our Net Shot!”

“By paying one gauge and removing one of our soul cards, we can deal three damage to the opponent!” Net concluded.

“Grrr, I should have expected effect damage. Gah!” Derek responded.

“Next I pay one gauge to call **Computer Warrior, Hackman** to the center. When he enters the field, if there’s another Computer on the field, I can bounce the monster in front of him back to your hand!”

“Gokumengaiou remains on the field with Soulguard!”

“Finally, I call **Computer Warrior, Antivirus** to the left. At the beginning of the attack phase, Hackman moves to the right, and then does a link attack with Antivirus on Gokumengaiou!”

“Dammit! Now my monster is gone, too?”

“We’re not done! Now we attack the fighter!” Net chimed in.

“Agh! You won’t get away with this!” Derek retorted.

“And that’s the end of our turn.”

Matt - Derek  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/4/2 - 4/0/6

“Draw, charge and draw. I call **CHAOS Darryl Berck** to the center; his ability activates, allowing me to check the top three cards of my deck. One is added to my hand, the rest go to the drop zone.”

“Watch out, his Buddy may be making a reappearance.” Net warned. I nodded in response.

“I then pay one life to cast **Chaotic Pain**. By milling three cards, I gauge charge three cards. Now I retire Darryl Berck to call Gokumengaiou back to the center, drawing a card in the process!”

“I knew it. Just make sure to hold out for this turn.”

“Don’t worry, I got this!”

“I also call **Apparition Demon Knight, Lasty** to the left, and send **Rebels’ Armor** into Gokumengaiou’s soul. Call **Apocalypse Knights Brigade, Pale Riders** to the right. Their ability activates: by removing a soul card from a Hundred Demons monster on my field and paying one life, I get to draw two cards. Lasty: attack Hackman!”

“Heh, figured out that you couldn’t win this turn?” Net taunted.

“Silence!” Derek ordered. “Gokumengaiou: attack the fighter!”

“Ow! You just had to make him angry, didn’t you?”

“Again!”

“Crap!” I panicked as I took another hit from the mechanized dragon.

“Pale Riders, finish the turn off by attacking the fighter!”

“Urgh!”

“And that’s it for now.”

Matt - Derek  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/4/2 - 2/2/4

“Come on, Matt, we just need one card to close this thing out! All you need to do is draw it!”

“I know, I know. Here goes nothing. Draw! Charge and… draw!”

“And there it is!” Net cheered.

“I call **Computer Warrior, Archive** to the right, activating his ability send one Computer card from the drop zone into our soul!”

“Wait, then that means…”

“You got it!” Net antagonized. “Net Shot, fire!”

“Dammmmmmiitttttt!!!”

GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora.

“We did it, Matt!”

I laughed. “Heh, we sure did, Net.”

By the time we got back to the waiting room, everyone was cheering for us, Seth in particular.

I walked over to Seth and offered my hand. “It’s up to you now. I believe in you.”

He quickly yanked my hand and shook it up and down forcefully, almost ripping it off. “Haha! You got it, i’ll get us to the finals no problem!”

And so he did. Seth beat the second member of Team Hundred Chaos Generals, sending us to the final round of the tournament. Before the day ended, the two finalist teams were called out onto the stage, which was now darkened from all the lights being turned off. It wouldn’t last long, though, as a spotlight shone on the center to reveal the commentator we had spotted earlier.

“Ladies and gentlemen, what we’ve witnessed here today are some amazingly heated BuddyFights! However, these two teams in particular have shone above the rest, displaying the skills proudly by climbing all the way to the final round.” The commentator’s voice had the perfect showman tone to match his looks.

A spotlight then almost blinded us from above. “In this corner, this ragtag group of newcomers have shown that not only do they have some bark, but they have plenty of bite to go with it! Give it up for Team Nexus Enforcers!” The audience cheered enthusiastically; Seth could barely keep still, he probably felt like a superstar.

“However, there are opponents are also no pushovers. Another group of greenhorns, they’ve shown that tenacity and fierceness can also get you quite far! But do they have enough to topple the typhoon trio that are the Nexus Enforcers. Let’s keep that in mind as we reveal the Violent Thorns!”

When the spotlight came on, however, Leon and Seth’s jaws practically split open. Standing all the way across the stage were two scraggly-looking boys and a rather temperamental-looking girl.

“J-Jacob, and Dray?! But how?” Leon yelled, his voice cracking in shock.

“R-Rika, no way!” Seth shouted, with a tone comparable to our third team member’s.

“Anyway, folks, be sure to come back tomorrow afternoon, where we’ll see the match of the ages, as these two teams get ready to rumbleeeeee!!!!!!” The showman finished, eliciting an ear-shattering cheer from the audience.

“Wait, hold on.” I managed to say, trying to speak over the crowd to my companions. “Do you know those three?”

Leon and Seth grimaced. “We’ll tell you later.” The former responded. “Let’s get out of here.”

After we regrouped back in the RV, Seth and Leon gave me the rundown on how they had come to know our finals opponents.

“Jeez, talk about a small world.” Net said.

“Net! This is serious!” I chided.

“I know, I know! Lighten up, though, we’re never going to defeat them like this.”

I sighed. “He’s right. Listen guys, you may have lost against them before, but we’ve gotten stronger now. We’ve made it to the finals of a regional tournament! If we believe in each other, then there’s no way we can lose!”

“That’s correct.” Mr. Castor said from the background. “You can’t win in the condition you’re in now, so you have to lighten up.”

Leon and Seth both looked at each other before grinning. Leon was the first to speak. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s all about grasping that lucky chance, isn’t it Seth?”

Seth laughed his signature hearty laugh. “You’re damn right it is, Leon!”

“One thing, though.” Leon interjected. “If Jacob ends up going first, then i’m going first, as well. I have a score to settle.”

“M-Me too!” Seth added. “I’d like to fight Rika again, if at all possible.”

I smiled. “Sure thing. Remember: we’re going to do this, together!”

“Together!” Our team cheered, full of energy once again. Tomorrow would be the hardest fight we’ve ever had, but we were ready. Ready to take home victory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Marx here!
> 
> Goddamn, i'm just on a roll with these, aren't I? Don't expect it to last forever, though, especially when the next chapter is going to have every single finals match in it. I hope you guys will enjoy some hot BuddyFighting action when I get around to making it. In other words, if you'd like to offer some ways I can improve to make that chapter as spicy as possible, then please! Leave a comment, anything helps! I want to improve as a writer as much as possible, and your comments help me do that immensely.
> 
> In other news, make sure you go check out BuddyFight - Karras Academy by GoshdarnRabbit, it's the work that inspired me to start writing this one, it's damn good! Anyway, I think that's all for this update. I'll see you guys whenever the next chapter comes out. It'll definitely be out before December ends, so, keep your butts clenched for the epic conclusion to the Illinois Regionals Saga! Haha, i'll see you guys next time. See ya later!


	14. Illinois Regionals Finals!

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, after our brief yet much-needed rest, are you all ready to kick off the final round of the Illinois Regionals?!”

A combined cheer could be heard from the audience.

“Okay then! It looks like the Violent Thorns have selected Rika Cylene to be their first combatant; let’s see how the Nexus Enforcers respond!”

Seth got up from his seat in the waiting room. “Looks like i’m up first.”

Leon and I rose to meet him. “You got this, Seth, we’re all behind you!” I said.

“Just don’t lose and you’ll be fine.” Leon added slyly.

“Heh, thanks guys. Wish me luck!” He then exited the room after closing the door behind him. A minute later, we saw him appear on the television, meaning he had made it up to the stage.

“The Nexus Enforcers have chosen Seth Demeter to lead them into battle! Let’s just get right into it then! Rika: you will be taking the first turn; now will both fighters please luminize!”

“Well, well, well… looks like the weakling actually managed to get out of his slump. You come all the way here just to receive another beating?”

Seth looked towards Rika. “I’ll admit, I was an amateur back then. But, i’ve gotten stronger, and i’ve made some new friends in the process. In fact, I really should thank you; if I hadn’t lost that match, then I would have probably never met Demongodol.”

Rika cackled in response. “That weak little dragon? I’ll show you a real Buddy, one’s who itching to leave you in the dust yet again!”

“The only one who’s leaving in grime today… will be you, Rika!”

“With the force of a raging typhoon, the titanic dragon paves the streets with blood! Luminize: Violence of Dueling!”

“A violent display rocks the field, watch the dragons of martial law shake the heavens with their mighty fists! Luminize: Draconic Ragnarök!”

“Say it with me folks! Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“Danger World!”

“I’m also with Danger World!”

 

“Heheh, let’s see how long you’ll last.” Rika said as she began her turn. “I call **CHAOS Alberion** to the center, and then retire him to Buddy Call **Titanic Violent Dragon, Zargilragne** to the right!”

As Seth was once again met with his former Buddy’s hulking form, he shot his opponent a stupid grin. “You sure didn’t waste any time bringing him out.”

“Of course not.” Rika replied with a comparingly evil smirk. “Alberion’s effect lets me draw one card by milling two. Next I pay one gauge to equip **Invoke Impetuous Deity, Hibakara** , one card from my drop zone going into its soul.” She was then enveloped by a bright blue aura and surrounded with the silhouette of a Hindu-like deity. “Zargilragne, attack the fighter!”

“Disperse, tiny human!” Zargilragne shouted, before slamming his claw into the ground Seth was standing on.

Rika - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/0/5 - 7/2/6

“Tch, not bad, but now it’s my turn!” Seth retorted as he began his own first turn. “First I call **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** to the right, allowing me to search and Buddy Call **Thunderbolt Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** on top of him by paying two gauge.”

“Seems like we’re both giving it our all this match.” Rika commented. “But bravado will never win against pure skill.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet! Another gauge and one life go into equipping **Eighth Omni Spear, Stormthrust**. I then call **Eighth Omni Duel Dragon, Zubanell** to the left, letting me regain one gauge, which will then go into casting **Burst Deity Calling Ritual** , along with another life. I then retire Zubanell to call **Retainer of the Demonic Dragon, Girielka** in his place, allowing me to charge yet another gauge.”

“Is this really accomplishing anything in the end?”

“Me and Girielka will link attack Zargilragne!” Seth retorted, pitching his weapon towards the titanic dragon in the process.

“I cast **Battle Spirit Unite** , boosting Zargilragne’s defense by seven thousand for the rest of the turn; he also gets to counterattack Girielka.”  
“Rrrgh, Demongodol: finish up by attacking the fighter!”

Rika - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/0/4 - 6/1/4

“Damn, that’s a strong right hook, but it’s nothing compared to what i’ve got in store. Draw, charge and draw. Alright, Zargilragne, show his Buddy how a real Duel Dragon fights!”

“With pleasure!” The titanic dragon sent another one of his numerous arms crashing down.

“Demongodol revives with Soulguard and counterattacks!”

“Not so fast!” Rika interrupted, “I cast another **Battle Spirit Unite** , meaning Counterattack’s conditions are no longer met! Now it’s my turn to get rid of that pesky dragon!” Rika lifted her arm, causing one of the constructed ones to do the same.

“I use Demongodol’s ability to destroy your item by dropping one hand card!” One of Seth’s hand cards dispersed into particles, and Demongodol summoned a lightning bolt down to strike Rika directly, resulting in a large smoke cloud.

When it cleared, however, a large blue hand was seen punching Demongodol head on, causing him to disappear.

“Sorry, but your Buddy isn’t the only card that has Soulguard.” Rika replied as soon as she was visible once again.

“Ah, shoot, I forgot about Hibakara’s Equip Cost!”

“After milling two cards due to Hibakara’s effect, I end my turn.”

Rika - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/1/4 - 6/1/3

“Damnit, I need to draw Demongodol again, or i’m finished!” Seth thought. “Alright, my turn!”

“Just give up, there’s no way you can beat me now.” Rika taunted as Seth began his turn.

“If there’s a will, there’s a way, so i’m not giving up now. I call Girielka to the left, and **Skeleton Armored Dragon, Medrogirus** to the right. Girielka and I will link attack Zargilragne again!” This time, the attack was successful, and the giant Duel Dragon was reduced to dust.

“Hmph, a lucky shot.” Rika muttered.

“Now Stormthrust gains Double Attack, so i’ll link attack the fighter with Medrogirus!” Another successful hit was landed as Medrogirus’ jaw and Seth’s spear made direct contact, bringing an end to their turn.

Rika - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
5/1/4 - 6/3/2

“You’ll pay for that, draw! Charge and draw.” Rika then grew a wide smile, one befitting of a sadist. “Time to end this. First I call Girielka to the right to gauge charge two since my life is five, then I call **Violent Dragon, Geolga** to the left since I have at least four different Duel Dragons in the drop zone; I also retire Girielka to call another one, allowing me to gauge charge another two.”

“She’s got something big coming.” Seth thought. “Better keep my guard up.”

“Girielka, attack Medrogirus!” Rika ordered.

“Not pushing for damage? I thought you’d be more aggressive than that.” Seth called out as his monster was destroyed.

Rika, however, ignored him and continued on with her turn. “Geolga, attack the enemy’s Girielka.”

“Okay, now i’m getting a little anxious.” Seth muttered to himself.

“I attack the fighter!” Rika yelled as she swung another ethereal arm towards her opponent.

“Gah, there’s the damage!” Seth squealed. “But i’m still in the game.”

Rika bared her teeth once more, in a smile only worthy of a monster. “Final Phase!”

“Wait, what?!”

“I cast **Battle Dragon Bursting Charge!** to call Zargilragne back to the field from my deck, retiring Girielka to make space!”

The field was once again rocked by the appearance of the colossal Duel Dragon, and Seth could have sworn that he was smiling just like Rika.

“Since there’s now at least eight different Duel Dragons in my drop zone, Zargilragne allows me to gauge charge four. Zargilragne, attack the fighter!”

“Aghh!” Seth screamed out, the dragon’s claw tearing into him, albeit metaphorically. Once he recovered, he smirked. “I’m still here!”

“Cast! **Battle Dragon Bursting Charge!** Zargilragne is called once more from the deck, and another four gauge is charged!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Seth grumbled.

“Zargilragne: end him!”

“I cast **Battle Aura Circle**!”

“Rrrrrrrrr, you piece of… I end my turn.”

Rika - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
5/10/0 - 1/3/1

“Huff… huff… I made it.” Seth said, knees on the ground, panting heavily. He got up and dusted himself off. “I can do this, I just need that one good card!”

“Don’t make me laugh!” Rika retorted, “There’s no way you’re getting out of this!”

“We’ll see about that! Draw! Charge and draw!” Seth gave a wide smile. “Got it!”

“Got what?” Rika asked.

“I call **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** to the left, activating his ability to search for another Demongodol card.”

“What good will that do? The evolved form of your Buddy isn’t any more powerful than the first!”

“Power and size aren’t everything, Rika, and i’ll prove that to you right now! I search out and call another Origin Demongodol to the right!”

“Ehhh?!” Rika yelled as the literal dual dragons took the field.

“Come on guys, let’s do a triple link attack!”

“This can’t be… i’m going to lose to such a pathetic dragon! Damnittttt!!!!”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Seth Demeter._

The audience let out a loud cheer, heavily entertained with such a passionate fight. Soon after, the commentator met up with Seth in the middle of the arena; Rika had already left the stage without saying another word.

“Seth Demeter has just secured the Nexus Enforcers’ first win! But stay in those seats, everybody, because the action has only begun! Let’s see how the Violent Thorns respond to this crushing defeat.”

“I did it guys!” Seth yelled out, pointing a thumbs up at the camera he knew his friends were watching from.

“I can’t believe you lost to such a schmuck.”

Rika had just entered the waiting room for the Violent Thorns. She was immediately greeted with Dray, his tone indicating that he was obviously not happy with the match results.

“Whatever.” she responded as she walked over and took a set on the sofa. “It was a streak of luck; all we have to do is win the next two, right?”

Jacob scratched his head in the corner, chuckling nervously. “You make it sound like a cakewalk, you know.” Vioroza was leaning against the wall right next to him, silent.

Rika scoffed. “You’re going next, right? Make sure to win.”

“He doesn’t take orders from _you,_ miss loser.” Vioroza replied, looking up briefly to eye Rika.

“Excuse me?!” Rika said, raising both her voice and her rear off of the seat.

“Hey.” Dray called out, “Both of you knock it off. His match is going to be starting soon.”

Rika sat back on the sofa while Vioroza got up from her leaning position. “Tch, we’ll show you how it’s done. Let’s go Jacob!” She then started forcefully dragging her companion out of the room.

“O-Oh, okay! See ya guys in a bit!” he said before barely making it out into the hallway.

“I’m going next.” Leon announced as soon as Jacob was seen walking out onto the stage, or rather, being yanked out.

“Are you sure?” I said, “I mean, don’t you want to fight Dray, as well?”

Leon just grinned. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m going to win this match anyway.” He then left the waiting room.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the participants of game two are finally ready to throw down! In this corner, we have Leon Aeolus of the Nexus Enforcers, who will be facing off against Jacob Camellia from the Violent Thorns!”

“It doesn’t matter what type of cards you have, because you’re still going to lose if you don’t know how to use them.” Vioroza called out.

“Trust me, I think you’ll regret giving me these cards in a few minutes.” Leon responded.

Jacob cut in-between them “Alright guys, let’s just start the match, okay?” With a nod from his partner, he continued. “Since we went first last time, your team can have the first move now.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Leon then took a deep breath. “Dark knights ruled by demonic lords, destroy and wreak havoc! Luminize: Rulers of Tartarus!”

“Though we may be desolate, we still follow the code of chivalry! Luminize: House of Ruin!”

“Say it with me folks! Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“I fight for Dungeon World.”

“We’re with Darkness Dragon World.”

Leon then began his turn. “After charging and drawing, I pay one life to call **Mikazuchi Knight, Rebellious** to the right; I also call **Death Dragon Demon Lord, Deathgaze** to the left. Next I pay one gauge and one life to equip **Wind Scaled Spear, Eskamal** and **Thunder Beast Spear, Bestia** , respectively. Finally, I pay one life to cast **Secret Arts of the Water Lord** , allowing me to charge one gauge and burn you for one damage.”

“Jeez, pulling out all the stops today, aren’t we?” Jacob commented as he was engulfed in a small tidal wave.

“Rebellious: attack the fighter!”

“Gah! I guess i’ll take that as a yes.” And with that, Leon’s first turn ended with a strong finish.

Leon - Jacob  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
7/3/2 - 7/2/6

“Alright, I draw. First i’ll pay one life to cast **Chaotic Pain** , milling three to charge three.”

Leon cut in. “Rebellious’ Thunder Mine activates, dealing you another point of damage!” The aforementioned knight struck his sword into the ground, calling down a bolt of lightning to strike the turn player in question.

“Hah… not bad, but we’re just getting started. Ready Vioroza?” The Black Knight pumped her fist and gave a wicked grin of acknowledgement. “I Buddy Call **Alluring Sword Demon, Vioroza** to the center by paying two gauge and sending the top card of my deck into her soul!”

“Heheh, don’t blink, or you’ll miss the part where I kick your ass!” Vioroza taunted as she took center stage, revealing her twin ornate swords and golden-black armor; Jacob’s life went up one due to the Buddy Gift.

“Another gauge goes into calling **Demonic Deity General, Gathura** to the left position, but wait, there’s more! By calling Gathura, I get to send the **Rebels’ Armor** from my drop zone into Vioroza’s soul, giving her a boost!”

Demios, who Leon had almost forgotten was standing next to him, nudged him. “Looks like they’re going all out, as well. Remember to not get flustered, and stay on your guard.”

“Of course.” Leon affirmed.

“I’ll pay a fourth gauge to equip **Cursed Demon Idol** , and cast another **Rebels’ Armor** from my hand to send into Vioroza’s soul.”

“Now my defense is seven thousand, and my power is nine thousand!” The female knight twirled her swords in amusement.

“Vioroza: attack Deathgaze!”

“You got it!” the knight complied, hurling a blue sword beam to cleave the dragon in two. “Edge of Demonic Calibur!” Her ability also activated, burning Leon for one damage, not to mention Deathgaze’s Lifelink.

“Now attack Rebellious!”

“Right!” This time, a red sword beam was thrown, and the cycle repeated once more.

“Gathura: attack the fighter!” Leon lost even more life, this time at the discretion of a physical assault.

“And now it’s my turn!” Jacob said as he added a dark energy sphere to the symphony of attacks, leaving Leon with only one life.

Leon shielded his face with both of his arms. “Damn, these two are relentless.”

“I’ll finish up by casting **Truth of Darkness** , regaining one life and drawing two cards.”

Leon - Jacob  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
1/3/2 - 7/1/3

“The only way we’re going to win this is to end the game this turn. I just have to draw into the cards I need.” Leon thought. He then began his turn. “Perfect!”

“Alright, first I pay one gauge to Buddy Call **Purgatory Demon Lord, Demios** to the right!”

Demios leapt into the air as he donned his Dungeon World gear, complete with sword and fireball. “Prepare to suffer the wrath of the purgatory curse, for our victory!”

“I also call **Purgatory Demonic Swordsman** to the left; **Heat Blade, Joker** goes to center and gets sent into Demios’ soul.”

“First i’ll link attack Vioroza with my two spears; Eskamal deals you one effect damage, while Bestia lets me target Vioroza for destruction!”

“I’ll Soulguard both of those, but Vioroza still has one Armor left in her soul.” Jacob commented.

“Demios: attack Vioroza again!” With a nod from Buddy, the Demon Lord swung a fireball in his opponent’s direction, causing Vioroza to revive with Soulguard once more. However, Vioroza was also able to Counterattack, removing Demios’ only soul.

“Swordsman: attack Vioroza now that her defense has dropped!” This time, the attack destroyed Vioroza for good, saving Leon from another point of effect damage. “I activate Demios’ ability, destroying Swordsman to destroy Gathura. I also burn you for one damage, and Demios’ gets to stand up once more; Demios: attack the fighter!”

“Take this, for our victory! Purgatory Flame!” Demios finished the turn with a fireball then dropped Jacob to three life, leaving a smoke cloud in the process.

Leon - Jacob  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
1/3/0 - 3/1/3

Jacob could be coughing after most of the smoke had dissipated. Once he was fully visible, he could been seen smirking. “Not bad. You’ve definitely gotten better with that Dungeon World deck.”

“Thanks to the hard work that me and Demios have put in.” Leon responded.

“True enough.” Jacob said as he charged and drew for his turn, “You know, in my opinion, the greatest asset a BuddyFighter has is the bond that they’ve formed with their partner; it’s the most influential power when determining how effective they are as a team.”

“Your point?” Leon hurriedly interjected.

Jacob, for the first visible time, turned serious, his long dirty blond hair casting shadows over his eyes. “That’s why… _we’re_ going to win this match. I pay two gauge and send the top card of my deck into this card’s soul to call **Alluring Sword Demon, Vioroza** back to the center!”

Sure enough, the almost-villainous Black Knight appeared once more, with an equally villainous smile showcased on her face. “Miss me?” she said once she fully came into view.

“No way… we just finished destroying her.” Leon muttered, utterly shocked at the turn of events.

“While i’m here,” Jacob continued, shrugging apathetically, “I may as well add some extra fluff onto my last turn. I call **Apocalypse Knights Brigade, Pale Riders** to the left, paying one life and removing Vioroza’s soul card to draw two new cards; I also call **Misbegotten Child of a Demonic Dragon, Tchimno** to the right. Next i’ll pay one life to cast **Chaotic Pain**.”

Demios clenched his fists in agitation. “Now he’s just taunting us.” Leon didn’t respond, but the dragon knew he felt the same way.

“Finally, I retire Pale Riders and use of those gauges to call Gathura back to the left. Vioroza: attack Demios.”

“What absolute rubbish.” Demios responded as he was obliterated by another sword beam, ending the game due to effect damage.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Jacob Camellia._

Leon spoke no words. He was now sitting down on the arena floor, casting a permanent gaze downwards. Demios walked over in his chibi form next to him, looking back at their opponents. Jacob was currently walking off stage with both of his hands in his jacket pockets; Vioroza took a second to stick her tongue out at both of their opponents before catching up with her companion, linking one of her arms with his in the process.

Demios looked back to his Buddy. “Leon, stand up. There is still work to do.”

“Yeah.” The pair then proceeded to walk off stage.

After a few minutes, the waiting room door creaked open, revealing our teammates, albeit a bit less distraught than before.

Leon walked over to me and cracked a smile. “Be sure to give Dray a few good knocks, eh? For me.”

I simply smiled back at him, more determined than ever. “You got it!” I replied, and we exchanged a fist bump.

“Looks like we’re up, then. Let’s give it to ‘em, Buddy!” I heard Net say from his PDA.

“You bet!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the match you’ve all been waiting for, the match that will decide the winning team of the Illinois Regionals tournament! We’ve seen some intense matches over the last few days, but it now comes down to the one decisive game! On this side, we have Matthew Pandora of the Nexus Enforcers, and on the other side we have Dray Rüstung of the Violent Thorns. Who will walk away with victory, and who will face the agony of defeat? There’s only one way to find out, so let’s begin!”

I looked across to see Dray standing on the opposite side, currently texting on his phone; he clearly wasn’t taking this match seriously, nor did he see me in any way as a challenge.

I feigned coughing to clear my throat, causing him to look up at me. Once he saw me, he put away his phone. “Alright, let’s get this over with. I have the first move.”

“How kind of you.” Net replied from his PDA, sounding a little bit irritated due to our opponent’s earlier shenanigans.

“The skies crack. An almighty, armored dragon descends to deliver divine punishment! Luminize: Deity of Energy!”

“Technology is its own world, ever evolving in both good and bad, let’s dive in! Luminize: Network of Battle!”

“One for time, folks! Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“Dragon World.”

“We’re with Hero World!”

“Draw, charge and draw. Equip **Chieftain Fist, Dragogeneral** , along with activating its ability. Attack the fighter.”

Dray’s attack came so out of right field that I barely had any time to respond, being forced to take the hit. “Ow! Hey, you ever heard of describing your turn more thoroughly?”

“You have your little tablet there, don’t you? I’m not here to waste time telling you redundant details, scamp. I end my turn.”

Dray - Matt  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/1/6 - 8/2/6

“Gotta admit, he’s got ya there.” I heard Net affirm from the aforementioned PDA.

“Thanks for the support.” I sarcastically chide my Buddy as I begin my turn. “After drawing and charging, I pay two gauge to Buddy Transform into **Computer Warrior, Netman**!”

I could now hear Net resounding throughout my head, as if I had a set headphones on. “According to Leon, his Buddy is an Armordeity as powerful as Dynamis, so let’s try to wrap things up before Dray manages to call him.”

“Right.” I agreed. “After using Netman’s Blue Charge, that one gauge and the top card of my deck goes into calling **Computer Warrior, Assemble** to the right; I also call **Computer Warrior, Antivirus** to the left. Okay, Assemble: attack the fighter!”

“Hmph. Cast **Dragonic Endure**.”

“Rrrr, now he has four gauge.”

“Just keep going! Even if the Buddy Call is inevitable, we might as well deal as much damage as we can right now.” Net reminded.

“Alright, then, now it’s our turn!” I responded as I dashed forward to deliver an uninterrupted drill thrust. “Antivirus: follow up!” Another successful attack landed as I ended my turn.

Dray - Matt  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
5/4/5 - 9/1/4

Dray began his turn with more silent foregoings. After drawing and charging, he eyes took on a dangerous look of determination, like they had just been lit ablaze with excitement.

“It’s coming.” Net whispered, which I agreed with.

“Buddy Call **Armordeity, Energeia** to the right!” We were then met with the form of the colossal dragon that Leon had described earlier: ferocious green flames, a wispy white beard, and a hulking, god-like physique. Despite not actually landing, the air pressure from his descent was enough to rock the whole building.

“I think we found the alternate reality version of Bane where the venom he’s shooting contains a dragonification agent.” Net said, picking the absolute worse time to crack a joke.

“Impressed, huh?” Dray questioned. “I’m not done yet. **Ex-Generation Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon, Sand Staff Benetnasch** to the left, casting **Dragosucceed** to gain life and activate Dragogeneral’s ability. Finally, **Boomerang Dragon Returns** to the center.”

It seems that Net now understood the gravity of the situation we were dealing with, because his tone dropped down a few happy levels. “Whatever you do, just hold out. There’s gotta be some way we can get out of this.”

“Alright, Energeia: attack the fighter.”

“Agh!” I huffed as the Armordeity’s colossal fist came crashing down.

“Again!”

“Gah!” I screamed, this time from his left fist.

“Hang in there, Matt!” Net reassured.

“It’s your turn, Benetnasch.” Dray ordered, and a moment later I was hit by a barrage of projectiles similar to Arkaid’s signature Sand Alchemy Arrow. “Boomerang, you’re up.”

“Wrap your laughing gear ‘round that, mate!” the dragon taunted as he was sent spiraling at me. He then returned to Dray’s hand due to his ability, and I was down to three life.

“Dragogeneral!”

I recovered just in time to see Dray leaping towards me. “I cast **Bring It On!** to nullify the attack and gain one life.”

Dray scoffed. “Hmph. Cast **Batzz X Link** , your move.”

Dray - Matt  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
8/5/2 - 4/1/3

“Hah… hah…”

“Matt, are you okay?” I heard Net resound through my head, his voice full of concern.

“I’m okay, I just need a bit.” I responded as I struggled to get back on my feet. “The psychology of this match is just a little bit much for me at this point, ya know?”

“I feel ya.” my partner replied. “What are we going to do? He’s back to eight life, and his Buddy nullifies all of our abilities during the battle phase. There’s no way we can beat him head on!”

It then came to me as I smiled. “Then let’s not face him head on.”

Net was confused; it showed in his tone. “Wait, what do you mean?” he inquired.

“It’s simple: you’re right, we can’t face him head on. But if we can just get two destructions, then we can finish him using _that_ card.”

My Buddy was now seeing what my intentions, as evident from the small gasp I managed to catch through the headset speakers. “When you say that card, you mean _that_ card?”

“I do.” I replied. “Just trust me, i’ll show you how resourceful i’ve become!”

I heard Net chuckle faintly. “Alright, i’ll leave it up to you, Buddy.” I nodded in response.

“It’s my move! Draw, charge and… draw!” My eyes grew wide. “Got it!”

Dray’s face turned inquisitive as he cocked his head. “Come again?”

“Alright, first I cast **Hyper Energy** to gauge charge four, then I pay one of those gauges and remove Netman’s soul card to activate our Net Shot!”

Dray took a direct hit from our charged energy blast; there wasn’t exactly much else he could do. “Hmph, talk big all you want, but you’ll never get past Energeia.”

“Next I retire Antivirus to call **Computer Warrior, Archive** in his place. Okay, Net, let’s attack Benetnasch!”

“Right!” Net confirmed as our drill strike caused the Fifth Omni member to disintegrate.

“Assemble and Archive: link attack Energeia!”

“I told you, you won’t get past Energeia. Soulguard!” Dray shouted.

I grinned. “Who says that’s what I was looking to do? Time for Final Phase!”

“Wait, huh?” Dray remarked, utterly flabbergasted.

“Since at least two of your monsters were destroyed this turn, I pay four gauge to dual cast **Superior Justice Driver!** ” I called out as our drill enlarged and became shrouded in an aggressive blue aura.

“Multiple Impacts in one turn?!”

“Take this!” My drill make a solid, well, impact on Dray, causing a colossal, game-ending six damage.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora._

“Ladies and gentlemen, the newest champions of the Illinois Regionals have been crowned! Let’s give a big hand to the Nexus Enforcers!”

The crowd cheered, and I saw the rest of team run up towards me.

“Matt, you freaking did it!” Seth yelled as soon as he reached me, which was not hard since he was sprinting and all of the others were walking.

“No, _we_ did it.” I replied. “Right Net?”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” Net muttered, “But we did the final blow.”

Leon interjected. “Looks like they’ve already left.” he said, referring to the Violent Thorns.

I smiled in response. “I have a feeling that this won’t be the last time we’ll see them.”

“Indeed.” Mr. Castor said. “But for now, let’s enjoy ourselves. You three deserve good, long rest after everything you’ve been through, and some good food.”

“Haha! Now you’re speaking my language!” Seth remarked, causing all of us to burst out laughing.

“You’ve heard it here, folks! Let’s give our new champions one last send off before they aspire for greater heights. Give it up for the Nexus Enforcers!”

The crowd let out a even louder cheer than before, and I couldn’t help but well up with happiness. We had just won our first regional tournament ever. But I knew that it was only the first step. The first step towards the Strongest Fighter Cup.


	15. Relaxation and Recuperation

“Ahh! Nothing like a nice cold drink to toast with, eh Matt?”

It was now a week later. We had just gotten back from Rosemont six days ago, and we decided that we would hold a victory party over at Mr. Castor’s house in a few days.

I nodded to Seth as I sipped my own drink, another can left over from our road trip. The atmosphere was great even if was just the four of us and our Buddies; turns out Mr. Castor was a single guy. His single-story house was pretty simple, as well, sporting a modern style with all types of monochrome furniture.

Time raced on until night approached, the day filled with food, drink, and playful BuddyFights. During that time, however, I noticed that Leon grew quieter and quieter with each passing hour.

Once events started to wind down, Leon stood up, causing the rest of us to turn. He took a deep breath as if we was readying himself to say something important.

“You guys, I’m sorry to spring this on you so suddenly, but I think I need to temporarily leave the team.”

Seth almost spat out drink as he heard Leon say those words. After gulping it down, it shot out of his seat haphazardly. “What?! What do you mean, we just won our first tournament!”

“Yeah, what’s the big deal, Mr. Doom and Gloom?!” Net chided from his PDA, which was currently resting on Mr. Castor’s coffee table.

“I know. But I can’t stop thinking: did I really do that much? I mean, I didn’t even come close to doing good in the final round - my opponent totally outplayed me. I just don’t think I’m ready for a higher level yet.” Leon’s tone was solemn, yet genuinely sad regarding what he was announcing.

“What are you going to do without us, then?” I replied worriedly.

Leon smirked; a sad smirk, but a smirk nonetheless. “I’m going to be training with Demios in Darkness Dragon World and Dungeon World. I have a feeling that we aren’t finished evolving yet.” Demios nodded in tandem, not saying a single word.

“I’ve already arranged for a temporary member to take his place.” Mr. Castor interjected. “If he wants to get stronger on his own, then we’ll just have to be patient and wait for his return.”

Seth sat back down in defeat. “Rrrrr… that’s not really what I wanted to hear, but I guess I’ll deal.”

In response, I stood up instead, giving Leon a confused look. I extended my fist towards him.

“We’re going to be training, too. When you get back, I’ll be just as stronger, if not stronger than you. Once that happens: I want to fight you again. And I’ll win.”

Everyone in the room was so shocked at my declaration that they were left speechless. Even Leon, who stood wide-eyed in front of me. When he came to, he just grinned maniacally and returned my fist bump. He then waved to everyone else as he plotted course for the front door.

“M-Me too! I can’t wait to see how strong you’ll have gotten after your training.” Seth replied after literally shaking his head to wake up from his stupor. Mr. Castor remained silent, although we could see him smiling out of our peripheral vision.

And then there were three, plus our Buddies, of course. We sat there for a few minutes after that door had sounded shut, almost like we were giving our former teammate a moment of silence. It didn’t last long, however, as our instructor almost jumped out of his seat, ready to brighten up the night, as big of an oxymoron as that may sound.

“Alright, team, looks like we’ve got some work to do! I suppose the first thing we should do is get all of this mess cleaned up, huh? We’ve got some big days ahead of us.”

Seth joined us in bolting out of his place on the couch once more. “Hold on, Mr. Castor. Earlier, you mentioned something about replacing Leon with a temporary member: who is that going to be?”

Mr. Castor laughed. “I’m glad you asked, Seth. Believe it or not, you’re looking at him.”

It was now my turn to be shocked. “Wait, _you’re_ going to be our temporary member?!”

“Why not?” Mr. Castor replied while shrugging. “It actually works out perfectly. You boys have never seen me get serious before, so I figured the best next step in training you would be to see an actual professional in action.”

Seth cracked his knuckles and let out a hearty laugh. “Haha! Now I’m getting all excited again!” He then looked at the time. “Well, I’ve gotta get going soon, so let me help you guys clean all of this junk up before I leave.”

I also picked up Net’s PDA to confirm the time. “Yeah, me too.”

After that was done, we said our farewells to Mr. Castor and started off towards our respective homes. It wasn’t long before I saw Net’s PDA light up in the dark of the night.

“Quite an interesting turn of events, wouldn’t you say, partner? You think you’ll be ready for him when he gets back?”

I simply nodded to my Buddy as I continued silently driving down the road. “Yeah, for sure. _We’ll_ be ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Marx here.
> 
> Don't worry, i'm not dead. At least, not yet. Anyway, sorry for not updating in quite a while, things have been quite busy with my life. Unfortunately, all I was able to crank out in my spare time is this small introductory chapter to the next story arc. But, moving on to the good news, i'm hoping to start getting these back out at least every two weeks now, meaning we'll be back to a somewhat more consistent schedule. Hopefully that'll give you guys something to look forward to.
> 
> Anyway, that's really all I have for this time. So I guess i'll talk to you guys next time. See ya later!


	16. Bumping in the Night

“Are you sure which way we’re supposed to go?”

“Of course I know! How hard can it be to locate a gold-trimmed castle?”

Demios and I were currently wandering through Darkness Dragon World; after leaving the Nexus Enforcers to go train, we figured the best first step would be to visit the old Purgatory Knight castle again, and see if any of Demios’ comrades had evolved, as well.

We were having a bit of a tough time finding it, though. Okay, fine, we were straight up lost. Granted, the only other time I had been to the castle was when I first visited it accidentally, and the events that followed were so shocking that I didn’t take the time to remember the directions there.

So, there we were, walking aimlessly through a world of pitch black, taking care to avoid the numerous dead trees and prickly thorn bushes. It was a wasteland in every sense of the word, even the sky was a gloomy dark blue.

“You know, if you’re the supposed leader of these guys, shouldn’t you know the way to your own castle?” I chided my draconic partner.

Demios appeared to be a little flustered. “S-Says the young man who is the Buddy of the leader! You’re technically the same rank as me!”

I threw my hands out and gave an exaggerated shrug. “Oh, my apologies, _Lord_ Demios, but if I recall correctly, I’m not the one prancing around in a black and gold suit of armor!”

“It’s called your Core Gadget, my ever-oblivious _partner_ of mine!”

This argument continued on for some time, enough time that I lost track of exactly how much had passed. We continued walking throughout the whole thing, though what sights I witnessed out of my peripheral vision I’ll never know since I was so focused on my verbal battle with Demios that my brain didn’t register anything else.

“And that’s another thing: who pours the milk in before the cere - ow! Hey, watch where you’re go…”

My train of dialogue was immediately interrupted when I smacked into a large wooden door, wrought with iron hinges and looped door handles.

When I looked up and saw the architecture, I turned to my Buddy and gave a sly grin. “And you said I didn’t know where I was going.” I said as I started to haphazardly push open the door.

The Purgatory Knights commander rolled his eyes. “Please, you weren’t even paying attention to where we were walking.” He then joined me in opening the door.

“And you were?” I retorted as we finally forced the door open, sounding off creaks and chirps of metal in the process. “Jeez, it’s almost like this thing was rusted shut.”

What I didn’t notice when I walked in, however, was that it _was_ rusted shut.

The entrance hall seemed to go on forever, the only central path being a worn and torn royal blue carpet with some type embroidered pattern. The surroundings I took brought no sense of deja vu, only confusion as I observed cracked gray bricks and rustic candlestick holders. Another important detail I noticed, or didn’t, actually, was that there was no gold highlighting of any type to speak of, only more royal blue fittings and trimmings. It was an odd sensation, to say the least.

That feeling was only compounded as me and my partner exited the entrance hall, which subsequently lead into the throne room, as evidenced by the carpet down below. It was a bit of an improvement, but it wasn’t in _that_ much of a greater condition. The only thing that really changed was that as the room opened up, the carpet was now lined with shadowy pillars on each side, all of them leading up to the throne.

It was then that I noticed that the only light in this whole castle was from the throne; an epicenter of brightness, like the origin point on a graph. The light was very calming, like the type of moonlight a couple on a picnic would sleep under as the cool breeze carried their soft dreams away into darkness.

It turns out that my daydreaming wouldn’t be that far off from reality.

It didn’t take long for us to notice that there were some people seated on the throne. The pair sat with the second person lounging in the lap of the first, the second also having their legs draped over one of the arms of the regal chair.

It wasn’t until I got even closer that my blood started to boil. Sitting on the throne were none other than Jacob and Vioroza, the latter having taken refuge on the former’s aforementioned lap. As soon as they came into view, I started sprinting towards the throne, only to be stopped by a wall of spikes coming out of the floor.

Vioroza slowly opened her eyes, her crimson gaze intensifying with every second she regarded me. “Who is the weakling foolish enough to disturb the king?” Her voice echoed throughout the stormy halls.

I frantically smiled. “Fancy meeting you two here. We were just busy training until we stumbled upon this here crumbling cookie of a castle.”

“C-Crumbling?!” Vioroza angrily retorted, raising her pitch a few octaves in the process. She stopped, however, when her partner shifted himself to get up. She shot him a worried look before removing herself and standing off to the side, seemingly sulking at this turn of events.

Jacob, on the other hand, greeted us with much less hostility. In a way, actually, it sort of pissed me off even more. All he opted for was to reach around to scratch back of his head before taking a second to breathe.

“Hey there. Long time no see, huh?”

“Hmph, you could say that.” I scoffed. “More importantly, what are you guys doing here?”

“Just taking some time off. This castle was originally home to all Black Knights, you see, before Gratos came and mucked everything up. I’m not actually the new king or anything, Vioroza just likes to call me that while we’re resting here, haha.”

The swordswoman blushed heavily. “I-I-I just f-figured since y-you are the c-c-c-companion of one of t-t-the l-last proper B-Black Knights in the world, you s-should be referred to more r-r-respectively.”

“Oh boy, I can already see the dynamic playing out here.” I commented.

“S-Shut it!” Vioroza replied. “Anyway, what’s your business here? Have you just come to annoy the ki… I mean Jacob?!”

“Funny of you to ask. I want a rematch: right here, right now! If we can win using our Purgatory Knights deck, then we keep those cards that you gave us!”

“I was going to let you keep them, anyway, but alright then, you’re on.” Jacob replied, having gained a new air of confidence around him. “Let the battle begin!” As he said those words, he clapped his hands. What followed could only be described as the castle coming to life.

As if on command, Jacob’s pair of claps made numerous ebony lamps in the throne room spring to life. The support pillars also shifted their locations, now spreading out in a circular formation to surround the center of the room, giving it a very stage-like appearance. The carpet faded away into deep blue sparkles as the indents in the floor rose to make seven makeshift monster positions.

“We’ll have the first move!” Jacob called out, having already donned his maroon scarf Core Gadget.

“Well, aren’t you pushy?” I retorted as I prepared my own Core Gadget. With my armor equipped, I was ready to fight.

“This young man is strange. He’s always acts so empty-headed until he gets into a BuddyFight. Be careful, Leon, there’s more to him than meets the eye.” Demios warned.

“What is he, a Transformer? I already got that!” I said, walking over to take my position on the other end of the castle-turned-arena. “Ready to begin?” My opponent simply nodded.

“Though we may be desolate, we still follow the code of chivalry! Luminize: House of Ruin!”

“Bonds that are eternal, surviving in the deepest of darknesses, we rise! Luminize: Purgatory Oath!”

“Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“Darkness Dragon World.”

A grin appeared on my face. “We’re also with Darkness Dragon World! What a coincidence, huh?” I tauntingly shouted.

Jacob smirked slightly as he began his turn. “Okay, first I call **CHAOS Darryl Berck** to the right, activating his ability to mill three cards, adding one to my hand in the process. Next, I’ll pay one life to cast **Chaotic Pain** , charging three cards by milling three.” He turned to his Buddy, a look of confidence growing across his face. “Ready, Vioroza?”

Strangely, Vioroza said nothing, only nodding with a blank stare on her face. It didn’t seem to faze Jacob, however.

“I pay two gauge and send the top card of my deck into this card’s soul to Buddy Call **Alluring Sword Demon, Vioroza** to the center!”

Vioroza took center stage as Jacob’s life shot back up to ten due to Buddy Gift, Darryl Berck fading away due to oversize, as well. Not a word was said between the pair as the fight continued.

“One gauge is paid to equip **Cursed Demon Idol** , and I’ll finish things off by casting and sending **Rebels’ Armor** into Vioroza’s soul, who will then attack the fighter!”

“I cast **Black Dragon Shield** to nullify!”

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/3/3 - 11/2/5

I was just beginning my turn when I heard Demios speak up, a surprise given he hadn’t said much until now.

“They’re acting weird; normally they’d be communicating so fervently, but now they’re not even speaking at all.”

I frowned at my opponents from across the stage. Demios was right: these guys had something planned.

“Right. I’ll be on my guard.” I responded, earning a nod of approval from my Buddy.

“First I pay one gauge to equip **Sword of Purgatory Knights Leader, Demios Sword** , after which I’ll Buddy Call the actual **Purgatory Knights Leader of Condolence, Geist Demios** to the right!”

My draconic partner transformed and swooped in to steal the show. “You may have beaten us before, but now you’ll witness the Purgatory Knights at full power!”

His enthusiasm fired me up even more as I continued on with my turn. “I also call **Purgatory Knights, Eval Grebe Dragon** to the left, who will link attack Vioroza with me!”

“As you wish, master: Purgatory Glaive!” the poultry-esque dragon declared.

“Vioroza revives with Soulguard, and uses Counterattack on Eval Grebe.” Jacob replied, his Buddy sending her signature Edge of Demonic Calibur towards the aforementioned assailant.

“Damn, so not only will my life drop, but I won’t be able to use Eval Grebe to activate Demios’ ability.” I growled, frustrated at this turn of events which I stupidly didn’t see coming. Luckily, however, I was still able to activate his ability to draw a card, along with my swords ability to do the same. “Demios: attack Vioroza again!”

“For our brothers!” Demios shouted. “Purgatory Flame!” The fireball created a small explosion, only to be wiped away by a careening purple sword beam, my life dropping once again.

“You’re gonna have to try harder than that.” Jacob taunted, his arms folded in front of him.

“Rrrr… I activate the ability of the **Purgatory Knights, Demios Sword Early** in my hand, paying one gauge to counter call him to the center! Attack Vioroza!”

“Disciple’s Blade!” And finally, Vioroza was destroyed, which ended my turn.

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/3/3 - 10/1/4

“Draw, charge and draw. I pay one gauge to call **Demonic Deity General, Gathura** to the left, along with **Misbegotten Child of a Demonic Dragon, Tchimno** to the right. I also call **Apocalypse Knights Brigade, Pale Riders** , paying one life and removing Gathura’s soul card to draw two new cards.”

Demios brandished his sword. “Even if I die, the Purgatory Knights will live on! We always have!”

“Sounds good to me.” Jacob retorted. “Pale Riders: attack the center.” A dozen or so ghostly swords then proceed to run through Demios’ pre-evolution. “Tchimno’s ability allows me to draw one card; also, he critical jumps up by one since you no longer have any monsters on the field. Tchimno: attack the fighter.”

“ **Black Dragon Shield**!”

“Gathura: follow Tchimno, and then I’ll end things off!” Two more hits followed as Jacob’s turn came to a close.

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
9/3/4 - 8/1/3

“We’ve been playing around for far too long.” Demios chided as I began my turn. “It’s time to get serious!”

“You got it!” I assured. “I call **The Foundation of Purgatory Knights, Lord Demios** to the right by paying one gauge and sending a Purgatory Knights from my drop zone into his soul.”

My Buddy landed on the right position, now dressed in more traditional armor. “To be strong, one also has to be versatile!”

I smiled. “I also call **Purgatory Knights, Paindagger Dragon** to the left.” As the lower-rank knight took the field, my mind preoccupied itself with my next course of action. “I’ll start off by attack Pale Riders!”

Rather than spending time sprinting all the way across the stage, I simply slash the air, creating a sword beam that obliterated the ghastly platoon in one fell swoop. I then pointed to the runty black dragon.

“Paindagger: attack Tchimno.” I ordered.

“Right! Purgatory Dagger!” the knight complied, hacking the egg-clad dragon apart with no remorse. A similar scene followed when I order Demios to take care of Gathura. My Buddy wasn’t done, however, as he used Paindagger’s life force to stand up once again, netting me one gauge and another card thanks to Paindagger and my sword’s abilities, respectively.

“We’re not done yet!” I shouted. “Demios: attack the fighter!”

“For our victory!” Demios responded with a swift slash of his blade.

“Counter call Demios Early to the left! Attack the fighter!”

“Two heads are better than one!” Another successful strike from Demios’ non-commander doppelganger.

I could feel victory closing in on my grasp. My blood must have been pumping at a rate of a million miles a minute. “Keep up the momentum! Demios: use your early counterpart to attack again!”

“You got it!” Demios replied, as he landed another hit. Sadly, however, my turn was forced to come to an end.

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
3/3/4 - 8/1/2

“You’ve certainly gotten better.” Jacob called out, continuing the ritual of charging and drawing. “But… you’re still not at my level just yet.”

I grew angry. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!”

Jacob frowned, a very rare sight to see. “I’ll show you. One life to cast **Chaotic Pain** , and then I send 4 Black Knights from the drop zone into this card’s soul, paying three gauge to call **Demon Lord of Apocalypse, Gratos** to the center!”

I grinned stupidly. “Is that it? Gratos? There’s a reason he lost in the end, you know!”

Jacob smirked. “This Gratos is amplified with unique powers from Dungeon World, but that’s not all. I pay two gauge to call two **Demonic Deity General, Gathuras** to the left and right positions. When they’re called, I put a **Rebels’ Armor** into each of their souls, respectively.”

Demios shivered. “Three size three monsters on the field at once…”

“Now I activate Gratos’ ability: by removing one of his soul cards, he gets to destroy Demios and gain Double Attack.”

“It’s fine, we can still hold out.” I assured. “Just barely. Demios: move to the center!”

A laugh echoed from across the hall. “It’s no use. When **Rebels’ Armor** is in the soul of a monster, that monster gains Penetrate!”

Everything that happened after was a blur. The first Gathura pierced through Demios so easily, the resulting explosion causing me collateral damage. I was then hunted down by three additional attacks, eternally helpless as my life trinkled down with each hit. I couldn’t even process what was happening when my life hit zero.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Jacob Camellia._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Marx here!
> 
> I had some extra time to work over the past few days, so I decided to write in order to pump out this chapter a little bit quicker than usual. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it, and as always, feel free to leave any criticism down below. In other news, make sure to go check out BuddyFight - Karras Academy by GoshdarnRabbit; it was the story that inspired me to write this one, and it just recently reached its conclusion!
> 
> Anyway, I think that's all for this time, so i'll see you guys in the next week or so. See ya later!


	17. Newfound Power

“So, Mr. Castor, what’s the first step in our new training regimen?”

It was now the next day. Mr. Castor asked me and Seth to once again gather at the school’s association football field for some more training. The drive there was nothing significant, it never was, but pulling up to the green turf always sparked a bit of nostalgia to start running through my brain in a way it never did before.

Seth was already there when I arrived, talking in the middle of the field with our instructor; I still couldn’t believe that he was going to be joining our team for an unspecified amount of time. I walked over to the field just in time to hear my teammate ask Mr. Castor about the start of our new so-called training regimen.

Our teacher regarded me with a kind smile. “Matt, glad you could make it! Now that everyone’s here, let’s go over what you guys will aiming for next.”

Mr. Castor then ushered both of us to sit down, he himself choosing to sit cross-legged on the ground with both of his palms resting on the sides of his knees. His pose made him look like he was about to give an impassioned speech, so much so that it almost resembled an anime sequence.

“Now that the six of you are state champions, there’s only one place to go next: nationals. In fact, the North American Spring Championships are coming up soon, so there’s no better time than today to start preparing. But, be warned, the competition will be fiercer than ever: expect competitive decks of the highest caliber. No gimmicks, no themes, just pure power and skill; within reason, of course.”

All of us were silent for some time as we took in the weight of Mr. Castor’s words. It is true enough that some of the teams in the Illinois Regionals were just playing to have fun, and they didn’t really care if they won or not. But nationals would be different; we would have to go up defeat the best fighters in the country if we even wanted a chance at the SF Cup. It was going to be tough, that’s for sure.

“The best in the country…” Seth corroborated. “Man, I never really thought about it like that. Are we really good enough to be labeled with such a title?”

I sat in silent agreement, aimlessly rubbing my thumb against the cold artificial turf of the field. Sure, Seth and Leon had been fighting alongside their Buddies for as long as they can remember. But me? Net and I had just became friends a few weeks ago. Were we really qualified to be called state champions, let alone national contestants?

I was snapped out of my stupor by Mr. Castor laughing. He settled down once he noticed both of us staring at him.

“I know what the both of you are thinking. But, think about it like this: yes, while there were many people at regionals just playing to have fun, there were also many people doing the complete opposite. A lot of those people wanted to win with their hardest, just like you did. And yet, when you clashed with all of your might, you six came out on top. That’s worth something, isn’t it?”

Seth and I exchanged glances before nodding.

“Well there you go.” he concluded. “You won not because no one else was playing seriously; you won because you believed in yourselves, and you gave it your absolute best. I have no doubt that if you do that once again: you’ll come out on top.”

If there was one thing our teacher was good at, it was giving speeches. Having a near unmatched amount of persuasive ability, he could turn any dire situation into one filled with hope. I mean, here we were, just coming off of a victory high due to our first ever regional tournament win, being told just how tough nationals would be. Our moods couldn’t have changed any faster, we literally went from 100 to 0 in an instant. And despite facing immense despair, Mr. Castor was able to fill us with confidence once again.

It only made us wonder just how good of a BuddyFighter he was, as well.

Mr. Castor got up and walked over to his nearby athletic bag, pulling out a water bottle and taking a large swig before resuming his talk.

“Anyway, I’ve prattled on long enough, how about we talk about the actual reason we’re supposed to be here, huh?”

Seth perked up. “Now we’re talking! So, who’re gonna fight first, Mr. Castor?! Me, or Matt?” Every word of his inquiries correlated with a step, bringing him closer and closer to our instructor. Honestly, his enthusiasm never ceased to amaze.

“Woah, hold on there, duelist extraordinaire.” Mr. Castor responded, throwing his hands up defensively. “While I appreciate the vigor, it’s going to take more than the heart of the cards for you two to go up against me.” Seth shoulders slumped as he proceeded to sit back down. “After all, a BuddyFighter can’t fight without a deck, which is why for the rest of today, the two of you are tasked with improving your decks as much as possible.”

It was my turn to be perplexed as we considered Mr. Castor’s words. While it was true that both of our decks were not exactly the most optimal, we were confused as to how we were supposed to be improving.

That confusion was soon erased, however, as Mr. Castor handed us each a small stack of cash.

“You didn’t forget about the prize pool, did you?” our teacher chided, a joking smirk plastered on his face. “It’s still early in the afternoon, so most, if not all, of the hobby shops should still be open. Improve your decks as much as possible, then report back here tomorrow, the same time as today. That’s an assignment!” He then proceeded to wave us off as he walked back towards the school building, most likely to do some grading or whatnot.

Seth looked towards me. “Matt, we should work together! If we pool our money, I bet we’ll be able to afford a lot more cards than if we were to go our separate ways.” I nodded in agreement as we stood up, our rears feeling somewhat numb after the lengthy lecture. Strolling back towards the parking lot, I decided to leave my motor scooter and go with Seth in his car, instead. Climbing into the back seat (the front was reserved for Demongodol), we drove off in search of Hero World and Danger World cards.

Truth be told: it was very anticlimactic. The search began with all of the local card shops, as we began the routine of asking the store owners about certain cards and archetypes in particular, sometimes being shown to a wide shelf of various singles, and other times being told there was nothing of the sort in stock. The same song and dance continued for some time until evening approached.

“Hah… hah… I think that’s every shop in town. Not a bad haul, huh?”

We were currently standing outside of a small gaming store on the outskirts of the city. Well, it wasn’t so much standing as it was gasping for air; getting out of a car repeatedly will do that to you. Either way, we had managed to collect a fair amount of cards using the prize money Mr. Castor had given us, leaving us with plenty of options with which to customize our decks.

“Yeah… we did pretty good, didn’t we?” I replied. After finding a nearby bus bench to sit on, we started rifling through our haul, analyzing each piece of shiny cardboard in hopes that a good amount of them would offer significant improvements to our decks.

And while we did end up finding many generic cards (just the term generic, not the actual card type), nothing in the pile really spoke to us in terms of archetypal advancement.

A jostling of the metal bench caused me to look back up at Seth, who had just slammed his fist down in frustration.

“Damn it! These cards are nice and all, but I don’t see any Duel Dragon cards that I already don’t have.”

“Same here.” I replied. “I can’t find any of Net’s friends in this pile at all.”

Seth hung his head down. “Well, there’s goes most of our prize pool down the drain. Now what are we going to do?”

“Excuse me, I couldn’t help but hear the two of you from inside; are you two BuddyFighters?”

Me and Seth looked to our side. The door to the store we had stopped in front of was now wide open and a somewhat elderly man had stepped out to greet us.

Seth quickly scrambled to pick up our cards. “O-Oh, sorry sir, we didn’t mean to disturb you when your store is closed. We were just about to finish up, anyway.”

The store owner chuckled. “No need to apologize, I was just merely interested in what the two of you were talking about.” He then noticed both of our decks which were currently off to the side, our Buddy Rare cards being the very first card on each stack, respectively.

“You know what? These cards remind me of something.” His face then turned to one of realization, as if a metaphorical light bulb had just gone off above his head. “Wait right here well I go fetch some things, will you?” He then started walking back towards the store.

A minute or so of silence passed until he came back out of the store holding a small plastic deck box. Taking a seat next to the both of us, he unclasped the seal and swiftly drew out eight specific cards before splitting them in half and handing each of us four.

My eyes grew wide as soon as I was able to process what he had just handed us. Printed on my four cards was a depiction of Net, this time in a yellow suit and holding some sort of keypad in his right hand instead of his usual drill.

“Hey, that’s one of my additional forms!”

Speak of the devil. His voice resounding from his PDA, he was ecstatic to see that I obtained a new Computer card.

“This will definitely make us stronger, Matt! Great job!”

I smirked and turned to Seth, prepared to ask what he had gotten when I was met with one of his signature hearty laughs.

“No way! Check this out, Matt!” He belted before almost shoving the card in my face. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the card art and text was turned sideways as opposed to the normal vertical position, meaning that it was an Impact of some sort. At first, confusion was the only thing I felt, mainly because Duel Dragons only had one Impact to speak of. That confusion soon turned to amazement, however, when I noticed the size indicator in the upper left corner.

“It’s Demongodol’s Impact Monster form! Pretty sweet, right!?” I nodded as he continued admiring the new card.

I barely noticed the store owner move from his position before he started to speak up. “Well, you kids have fun with those cards. Free of charge, of course.”

“Hold on!” I urged. “Why give them to us so nonchalantly?”

The old man chuckled once more. “Because you enjoy the game, why else? Besides, I have a hunch you kids will be able to go far with not only good cards, but with the bonds you’ve formed with your Buddies. Good luck, now.” He then disappeared back into the dark recesses of the store, a reminder that it was growing late and that the street lamps would be turning on soon.

“Well, ain’t that just a stroke of luck, huh Matt?” Seth remarked. “Either way, I wager we’re more than ready to take Mr. Castor on now. Let’s hurry and get customizing once we get home!” My teammate then started rushing towards the car.

“A stroke of luck, huh?” I murmured to myself. “Not exactly, Seth. At least, that’s not what I think.” I took one last look at the mysterious store before heading off to join my fellow Nexus Enforcer on our journey home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Marx here!
> 
> Ha ha ha... looks like I just barely missed the deadline for the next chapter. Hope you guys can forgive me for that one. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this story-focused segment; I think it might be one of the longest chapters i've written that doesn't contain a fight scene.
> 
> In other news, make sure to tell me how I can improve my writing in order to make it as entertaining as possible by leaving a comment or some other form of review down below. Also, make sure to check out BuddyFight - Karras Academy by GoshdarnRabbit, at it's the story that inspired me to write this one.
> 
> I think that's it for this time, so i'll see you guys in the next week or so (hopefully) with a new chapter. See ya later!


	18. Impact! Demongodol, "Gordric Jolt!"

“Haha! I did it!”

I was currently sat on the ground, one arm braced against the turf while the other weakly rubbed the back of my head. Again, these fights can play with your mind, and sometimes they feel crazily realistic.

I sighed. “Good game, Seth.” Hoisting myself to my feet, I regarded my teammate with a small bit of resentment. “Looks like you’ll be the one to face Mr. Castor today.”

Seth beamed with excitement. “Heheh, thanks, I’ll give it my all!”

Right, I should probably explain what was going on. The day after me and Seth received our new cards from the mysterious shop owner, we both rushed over to be the first one to fight Mr. Castor. Recognizing that both of us were eagerly waiting to see how skilled he was, he decided to turn it into another competition. He ordered us to fight, with the winner then earning the privilege to fight him.

And, based on what I’ve already described, you can probably tell that I lost. While I was little sore about the whole ordeal, I quickly cheered up, just excited at the prospect of finally being able to see our instructor’s Buddy.

In an effort to show my own excitement, I gave Seth a playful punch in the arm. “Be sure to kick his can for me, okay?”

It seems that it worked, as Seth only started beaming at the mouth even brighter. “You got it!”

Seeing that reconciliations were out the way, Mr. Castor walked over from the sideline to join us. There was no doubt that he was excited to finally fight us, as well.

“Looks like you both have grown a lot stronger.”

“Yeah, I bet Leon has, as well.” Seth concurred, causing the both of us to momentarily drop our heads.

Mr. Castor was quick on the uptake, though. “All the more reason to smash through nationals at a breakneck pace, to make sure he returns to proud teammates.” He gestured towards us; a classic gesture of his, since he was so used to speaking with his hands. “But the only way you two are going to get to nationals is if you prove you’ve got what it takes: by defeating me!”

Seth perked up at the notion, slamming his fist into his palm with anticipation. “You’ve got it, Mr. Castor, I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”

“That’s the spirit,” he responded. “Shall we get started right away then?”

I was perplexed. “But what about your Buddy, Mr. Castor? Where is it?” I inquired.

Mr. Castor chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry, he’ll show up when he’s ready. He works on his own schedule.” A feeling of anxiety then grew within me as he walked to the other side of the field, most likely growing in Seth, as well.

If it was, however, he did a great job of not showing it, because he retained his same cheerful, bombastic tone as he revved himself up for the fight.

“Mannn, I can’t wait! Me and Demongodol are gonna kick his can a whole new one!” he blurted out as he continued to shadowbox an imaginary monster. I must have been daydreaming, because I felt his hand on my shoulder even though I never saw him move from his original position. “This is for the both of us, Matt, wish me luck.”

I snapped out of my supposed stupor to offer him a snicker. “I appreciate the sentiments, but I still wish I could have fought him myself. Nevertheless, good luck Seth!” We then clasped arms before he took his position on his side of the field, which meant I would be moderating this fight.

Centering myself on the sidelines, I raised my hand in the air, reminiscent of a referee about to start a race.

“This practice match is between Seth Demeter and Mr. Castor, both belonging to the Nexus Enforcers! Since Seth went first in our match, Mr. Castor, you will have the first move.”

“No problem.” Our instructor complied, his tone shifting to one of excitement and eagerness.

“With that said, both fighters please luminize.”

“An envoy of justice rolls out to save the day, watch as them change right before your eyes! Luminize: Wheels of Steel!” Mr. Castor’s Core Gadget then materialized in the form of a single-sided, gray headset.

“A violent display rocks the field, watch the dragons of martial law shake the heavens with their mighty fists! Luminize: Draconic Ragnarök!”

“Buddy… Fight!”

“Raise the flag!”

“I’m with Hero World!” Mr. Castor announced, as the helmeted emblem of Hero World took its place behind him.

“Haha, Danger World!”

Our enthusiastic teacher began his turn. “As previously stated, it’s my turn; draw, charge and draw. Hmm….”

“Are you gonna fight, or just stand there thinking all day?” Seth gawked. As usual, he became a lot more competitive when in the middle of a fight.

Mr. Castor took it well, however, chuckling lightly to himself. “I’m glad you’re so excited to lose, because this fight will be over within a few turns. First I’ll call **Ride-Changer, Lapeledge** to the left, after which I pay one gauge to ride **Ride-Changer Officer, Winning Maximum** , whom I’ll also use for my first attack!”

Mr. Castor’s monsters then took the field. While I hadn’t heard much about the Ride-Changer archetype, I did find their obvious parallels to Transformers interesting. Lapeledge took the field as a heavy-duty truck with an orange and red color scheme, obviously not in his Soldier Form just yet. The same could be said for Winning Maximum as Mr. Castor was transported inside of a emergency-esque vehicle with a blue and white color scheme.

I wasn’t given too much time to analyze, though, as the truck then sped towards Seth at breakneck speeds, ramming into him for a hefty two damage.

“Your move.” Mr. Castor concluded, his staticky voice now being projected through some sort of speaker.

Mr. Castor - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/2/5 - 8/2/6

Seth almost doubled over from the blow, but he managed to stay standing, enough so that he could begin his own turn. “Ha… ha… now it’s my turn to strike back. Draw, charge and draw.” Regaining his hearty composure, relieving me in the process, he continued. “Haha! Okay, here we go! Two copies of **Skeleton Armored Dragon, Medrogirus** to the left and right, and I’ll stop that off by calling **Eighth Omni Duel Dragon, Speardos** to the center!”

“Now you’re talking! Hit me with all you got, Seth!”

Seth smiled. “Both Medrogirus will attack the fighter!” The dragons let out parasitic growls in response before chomping down on Maximum’s armored chassis. “That’s all for now!”

Mr. Castor - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/2/5 - 8/3/4

A minute or so passed; the tension was growing by the second. My thoughts were broken when we both heard Mr. Castor laugh.

“Hmhm, now things can really begin!” He called out. “Draw, charge and draw! I activate Winning Maximum’s ability. When my life is six or lower, I can pay two gauge to call or ride into a new monster by sending Maximum to the drop zone. So, I ride **Winning Maximum, “Soldier Form!”** ”

Even though he had to send his old Maximum to the drop zone, this ability felt more like a mode change than anything. Several whirrs and gears turning were heard as Winning Maximum’s body shifted to its more humanoid form, which now towered over the battlefield. Mr. Castor’s position also shifted to the head, which was now repurposed to act as a sort of cockpit.

“Well, it wouldn’t be Hero World without some super fighting robots, I suppose.” Seth chimed, although I could hear slight nervousness in his voice. Perhaps he used humor as a coping mechanism.

“Alright, Lapeledge, clear a path for us!” The truck, which now looked small in comparison, beeped a few times before slamming into the deity lord’s servant, opening the center position. “And now it’s our turn! Attack the fighter!”

If the truck was rated at a nine, then Maximum’s armored fist crashing down would have to be a ten in terms of intimidation. Seth was helpless as he dropped down to five life.

We could hear our teacher’s muffled chuckle from the speaker. “That’s not all. If my life is still six or lower after Winning Maximum’s attack, then he gains Double Attack!”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Seth responded. “Gah!” The turn then ended after a second severe, metal left hook.

Mr. Castor - Seth  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/1/5 - 2/3/4

As Seth rose to his feet, we heard Mr. Castor’s voice yet again.

“So, ready to give up? Or do you think you can pierce through Winning Maximum’s eight thousand defense?”

“Heh heh… there’s no way I’m giving up.” A charge and a draw started Seth’s turn, his gaze locked at the towering colossus before him. “And, you’re right about one thing: this battle is going to be short-lived, because I’m going to win it right here! Because I believe in myself!”

Although we couldn’t see it, Mr. Castor was probably smiling in the cockpit. “Very well then, come at me!”

“Heh. I retire both Medrogirus to replace them with two copies of **Origin Fighting Dragon, Demongodol**. The first’s ability activates, allowing me to search out another Demongodol card. That Demongodol will also Buddy evolve into **Thunderbolt Fighting Dragon, Demongodol** for two gauge!”

“It’s still not enough to get past Maximum’s defense!” Our teacher taunted. “And have you taken any defense spells into account?”

It was now Seth’s turn to chuckle. “I activate Thunderbolt Demongodol’s ability! By discarding one hand card, I can destroy an item on the field!”

“Wait, huh?! I got too caught up in the moment and forgot about that!” Winning Maximum’s body then faded away with a swift strike of lightning.

“Demongodols, link attack the fighter!”

“Guh! So this is what it feels like!” Mr. Castor comically blurted out after suffering a twin stomach punch. He was still smiling when he recovered, however. “But that’s it for you, I win!”

“Final Phase!” Seth announced.

“Huh?” Our dumbfounded teacher replied once more.

“Impact Call! I pay two gauge to transform Demongodol into an Impact Monster!”

Thunderbolt Demongodol became enveloped in a bright white aura before it dissipated to reveal him back in his normal form, all of his fighting spirit seemingly concentrated into a single fist.

Seth let loose one his signature hearty laughs. “Demongodol is now a size 2 Impact Monster with eight thousand power, five thousand defense, and three critical. In addition, he also gains Counterattack, though I doubt it’ll be useful at this point.

And for this first time in forever, Demongodol’s voice rang out, a strong and powerful growl-esque tone that could shake the heavens.

**“Demongodol… Gordric Jolt!”**

“Hit ‘em hard, Buddy!” Seth cheered, as Demongodol sprinted towards the other side of the field. When he got there, he sent all that energy spiral right into Mr. Castor’s gut, which would have probably killed him if it had been real. It made me appreciate the fact that most monsters could use their real powers on Earth.

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Seth Demeter._

Seth was silent for some time, just taking in what had transpired. Once he finally came to his senses, he let out a mighty holler.

“I did it! I freaking did it! I beat Mr. Castor!”

While I was happy for him, I was also worried for our aforementioned instructor, who had been sent sprawling across the turf from that last punch. Thankfully, however, he begin to get up, showing no signs of physical damage (obviously), as well as no signs of psychological damage. All-in-all, he seemed to be in good spirits as he walked back to join the both of us once more.

“Well, well, well, you two have certainly gotten stronger. It makes me proud, both as a teacher and a BuddyFighter, to see just how much the both of you have grown.”

Seth reacted with a slight bow. “Only thanks to you Mr. Castor. Thank you so much, for everything!”

“It’s part of the job.” Mr. Castor concluded, chuckling lightly to himself. “But, now that that’s out of the way, I have no doubts that you can win nationals at your current power levels, as long as you try as hard as you did before.”

Our eyes lit up in bewilderment. “You really think so, Mr. Castor?” I inquired.

“Of course. I mean, nationals are coming up this weekend, so it’s not as if there’s enough time to teach you anything else.” Our teacher added.

Seth was the first one to perk up in excitement. “Wait, _this_ weekend?! It’s already Thursday, though!”

“Hahahaha, indeed. We’re driving out to Chicago tomorrow, so you better make sure you have everything you need ready to go!”

“Are you for real?” I rhetorically asked, feeling a presence of dread wash over me. However, knowing my fellow Nexus Enforcers, and just how far we had come, that feeling soon turned into one of determination. “Alright then, let’s do this!”

“Yeah, you said it, Matt!” My Buddy chimed in from his PDA. “I’m just itching for a good fight since we never got to face your teacher, so I’m gonna run wild come nationals!” I smiled at him in agreement.

Of course, at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel that our team felt a little empty. While I was excited to be going to nationals, I wished we could have done it as an official team. Those thoughts lead me to wonder where exactly Leon was at that moment, and what was he doing at the time.

Little did I know that we would be seeing him again very soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Marx here.
> 
> My goodness, I'm really bad at this, aren't I? Haha, seriously, I hope you guys can forgive me, if there are any of you left at all. I sort of lost track of time, not realizing just how long it's been since the last chapter came out. But, have no fears, I'm not dead or anything, but I'm definitely not making any more deadline promises until I learn how to manage my time better.
> 
> Anyway, make sure to leave any criticism down below, and go check out the story that inspired this one, I guarantee you'll love it. With that said, I'll see you guys in the next chapter. See ya later!


	19. North American Nationals Begin!

“D-Damn it, he’s too strong!”

I was lying on the ground. I wasn’t sure how I had gotten there, or what I was doing there, but there I was. The sky was an ominous red, framed by pitch-black clouds. To my left, I could see Seth, who had just uttered the previous mark. To my right, I could see Net’s PDA, a huge crack adorning the center which was now causing the screen to glitch in and out randomly.

I tried to get up, only to be greeted by a sharp pain that coursed through my very being. “What the hell? Why can’t I move?”

**“Hahahahaha, trying to get up once more? You’re just like cockroaches, every single one of you.”**

I shuddered. I looked around in an attempt to trace back that heinous-sounding voice before my squinted eyes landed on a silhouetted figure. Even when they were covered by shadows, I could still identify their wear: a full suit of dark-gray armor accentuated by gold highlights. A glow exuded from their visor in the form of two red eyes. Far behind them, I could make out several more figures wearing the same type of gear, only their statures seemed far more inhuman.

A groan snapped me back to reality as Seth futilely tried to raise himself just as I attempted before, only to achieve the same results.

“Seth, what’s going on? Who is this guy?” I inquired.

My teammate groaned once more. “W-Why? Why now, why here, why at this time?” He didn’t answer my question as he continued his shifting and stirring.

I then heard the sound of clanking metal as the knight, most likely, walked towards us.

**“I’m sorry it had to come to this, but this is all to complete my mission. I promise.”** The figure then raised his arm in the air.

Immediately, sounds of magic and portals could be heard, followed by a grim and dark howling. A shadow eclipsed me, Seth, and the broken PDA, which I didn’t know if Net was still housed in or not. When I looked up at the source of the shadow, however, what I saw could barely be described.

**“Counter Final!!”** The massive object swerved a bit, and then just when I thought it was going to return to its original position, it came crashing down on us.

“No. Nononono…”

“NO!”

“Whoa! What’s the matter, Matt?!”

I was back in the real world. It was all just a dream. Just a dream.

I scanned my surroundings; the Nexus Enforcers were currently back in Mr. Castor’s RV, driving down Interstate 90 en route to Chicago. That’s right, it was the next day, and we were on our way to the national tournament for North America.

I looked over to see Seth blanking staring at me, causing me to remember that he had just asked me a question.

“O-Oh, sorry! Just a bad dream, I suppose.” I replied, throwing my hands up in surrender.

Seth flashed a broad smile. “Jeez, almost gave me a heart attack over here! We’re almost to Chicago, ya know! I hear the tournament’s going to be taking place in a huge convention center.”

I nodded to him, then looked to the front of the vehicle; Mr. Castor was currently wearing headphones and was focused on his driving. Net’s PDA was currently on the table next to me, he was most likely resting. With everyone reassured that I was okay, I settled back into my seat.

I thought about what I had just experienced, about the dream that I just had, about the shadowy figure and their legion of supposed knights. It couldn’t be real, nothing like that would ever happen.

And yet, for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of dread as we pulled into Chicago.

The drive in question didn’t take much longer. Once we arrived, we took care of all the preliminary issues like hotel rooms and the like, and then set out for the convention center. Rather than taking the RV, we opted for one of the city’s bus lines. I always wondered why such a ubiquitous system of transportation couldn’t be set up in every city. I mean, we have the ability to travel to the homeworlds of various monsters, how hard can setting up a few buses be?

Regardless, we soon pulled up to the convention center, which was already crowded with people. No familiar faces in particular stuck out to us, but they seemed like pretty skilled opponents. As everyone shuffled into the venue, helper staff appeared to guide all of us into two different sets of bleachers which surrounded a massive open area that currently had the lights turned off.

And the arena sprang to life. In a flash, the lights blared with intensity, one spotlight in particular casting a beam on a press box that stood high above one of the bleachers; inside, a man could be seen.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. It’s time to kick off another white-hot weekend of BuddyFighting!”

The crowd erupted into a series of cheers and hollers before settling down so the commentator could speak again.

“Yes, yes, I know you’re all excited, but first: let’s get the necessary details out of the way. I’m your host for the 2018 North American BuddyFight nationals; the name’s Bob Santner, but you folks can just call be Bob.” He then flashed a typical showman smile before readying himself once more. “Furthermore, as some of you may not know, things are a little bit different when it comes to national-level tournaments. Instead of competing in normal bracket format, fighters are free to challenge anyone when and where they wish, as long as all fights take place within the arena. Challenged fighters have to option to deny challenges, but given the requirements for entering the final round, that may not be such a good idea. You see, at the end of the day, the two teams with the most wins will pick two fighters to go on to fight in the final round tomorrow, and the last man standing shall be crowned the champion!”

The audience had a mixed reaction. While many of the veteran fighters were most likely used to this format, some of the newcomers were left skeptical of this new revelation. Regardless, Bob continued. “Well, I think that’s everything. So, without further delay, everybody may… begin!”

Immediately, an avalanche of people flooded the stage, some of them almost knocking me over as the descended the bleachers. Upon regaining my footing and rendezvousing with Seth, we looked down to find Mr. Castor already on the stage floor.

“Come on, you two! We can’t lose to these schmucks now, can we?”

Seth laughed. “Man, Mr. Castor sure gets real competitive when it comes to BuddyFighting. Let’s do this thing, right Matt?”

I smiled at him. “Yeah!” I then split up from my teammates in order to find a worthy challenger.

“Impact! **Superior Justice Driver!** ”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora._

“Hit ‘em hard, Buddy! **Gordric… Jolt!** ”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Seth Demeter._

“Let’s go Winning Maximum! Strike them down!”

“Affirmative.”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Mr. Castor._

“Woo! That’s another three wins, huh?” Net commented.

It was a few hours later, and the Nexus Enforcers were currently regrouping to see where they stood in the ranking. Luckily, as soon as they found each other, the intercom rang out throughout the stadium.

“We’ve seen some wins, and we’ve seen some losses, so it seems like now’s the best time to see where our fighters stand!” A large screen in the corner of the room lit up, transitioning quickly between several silhouetted faces before slowing down and landing on one. “It looks like the top team is… oh my! It’s our only one-man team of the whole tournament!”

Seth chuckled. “A one-man team? I know that’s not technically against the rules, but who would be dumb enough to do that?”

“In first place is Leon Aeolus of Purgatory Revival!”

I had almost choked on my own saliva. “Leon?!”

Seth had a near similar reaction. “Are you serious, Leon’s in the tournament!? And he’s fighting alone?”

Bob didn’t stop, however, likely not even noticing that we needed some time to adjust to this information. “Oh my, it looks like Leon is about to get in yet another fight, this time with the leader of our second place team: it’s Jacob Camellia of the Violent Thorns!”

True enough, everyone looked towards the center of the stage where Jacob and Leon were engaged in a standoff.

“We meet again, it seems.” Jacob remarked casually; Vioroza and Rika were at his sides, but Dray was nowhere in sight.

Leon, although he didn’t seem different, held an all new aura around him. As if he just exuded a far more serious tone than before. He snickered. “What, only a two-person team this time? Did that coward turn tail after I beat him and his Armordeity so badly?”

Jacob flinched, causing Vioroza to step towards him. He held his hand up in reassurance, however. “You’ve grown a lot stronger, there’s no doubt about that. But you’ve lost something else in the process.”

The cackle came from Leon’s mouth filled us with a sense of dread. We could almost feel the room drop temperature and be filled with a bone-chilling wind. “If that’s all you have to say, then I don’t want to hear it. It doesn’t matter how many sacrifices we’ve made, we now have the power to change everything! We’ve been reborn!”

“Want to test that out?” Jacob replied, readying his Core Gadget.

“With pleasure.” Leon said, mimicking the same action of his opponent.

It seemed like the North American national tournament was going to heat up even more from that point on.


	20. The Chance to Atone? Purgatory Knights Reborn!

“Though we may be desolate, we still follow the code of chivalry! Luminize: House of Ruin!”

“To return home to our friends and family, we must first face the darkness within! Luminize: Oath of Revival!”

“Say it with me, everyone! Buddy… Fight!”

And the BuddyFight was off. Everyone stood glued to the floor as they anticipated the match between the top two contenders of the tournament. It was as if everyone knew they had no chance in hell of stacking up to these two fighters, so it was better to quit while they were ahead. Seth stood next to me, but Mr. Castor was nowhere in sight.

“Raise the flag!”

“Darkness Dragon World.” Jacob announced, equipping his signature maroon scarf.

“Darkness Dragon World!” Once Leon donned his Core Gadget, however, a chill was sent through my spine.

_“That’s him, that’s the person I saw in my nightmare!”_ I thought to myself, the sinister armor seeming all too familiar. _“But, how come I didn’t see Jacob at all?”_ I had no time to think, however, as Jacob was set to begin his first turn.

“Draw, charge and draw. I call **CHAOS Darryl Berck** to the center, allowing me to mill three cards and one of those to my hand, after which I’ll pay one gauge to equip **Cursed Demon Idol**.”

Jacob turned his evil eye towards his Buddy. “Ready?”

A devilish smile split across Vioroza’s face as she slammed her fists together in anticipation. “Never been more ready in my life.”

A nod then came from her companion who turned back towards the match. “Two gauge and the top card of my deck go into Buddy calling **Alluring Sword Demon, Vioroza** to the center, with Darryl Berck retiring in the process.” Vioroza took the stage, twirling her swords and signaling Jacob to continue. “I’ll then use the Buddy Gift to case **Chaotic Pain** , which you should be familiar with by now.”

Seth chuckled. “Well, at least he’s still got a sense of humor, huh Matt?” All I could do was nod meekly and watch the fight go on.

“I’ll finish off by calling **Demonic Deity General, Gathura** to the left using one gauge, who sends another Deep card into Vioroza’s soul via his ability; he’ll also attack the fighter!”

“I may be a general, but I serve under a brave man today!” Gathura called out as his ornate blade pierced Leon’s armor, who stood deadpan in response.

“Now it’s time for Leon to begin his turn.” I commented. “I kind of scared for what’s to come.”

Jacob - Leon  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
10/2/3 - 8/2/6

“Hahahahahahahaha, is that your best?” Leon taunted, at which point we could almost see Vioroza’s blood boiling.

“You dare to mock Jacob on the first turn of the fi—”

“Shut it!” Leon interjected. “I’ll show you how it’s done! Draw, charge and draw. One gauge and one life to equip **Purgatory Knights Reborn Sword, Expia Sword** which allows me to add a size two Purgatory Knights monster from my deck to my hand; I’ll Buddy call that monster with the top card of my deck and one gauge, and that monster is **Atonement Purgatory Knights Leader, Orcus Sword Dragon**!

Demios’s upgrade then stormed the right side of the field, sporting dark blue armor and purified scales. He looked more confident than ever, but something was still off, just like with Leon. Whatever they had gone through, it had changed them drastically.

“ **Purgatory Knights Reborn, Crossbow Dragon** to the center, and **Purgatory Knights, Necropalm Dragon** to the left. I’ll then set **Crush that Body, and Sustain Mine** , and **Purgatory Hymn, Tune of Cursed Endless Battles”** , as well!”

“Geez, he’s going all out, isn’t he?” Mr. Castor inquired, showcasing that even he was unnerved by this turn of events.

“Orcus: attack Viroza!”

“Understood.” Orcus then flew high above the stage, conjuring a massive fireball which lit up the entire convention center. “For our victory, Curse of Atonement!”

Although slightly unhinged, Jacob stood fast in the wake of his opponent. “Vioroza revives with Soulguard and returns the favor with Counterattack!”

A quick re-materialization was all it took for the Black Knight to come out swinging, and one purple sword beam later, and Orcus was also down a soul card.

Leon didn’t seem to mind, however, as his wicked bared teeth only grew. “The effects of my two set spells activate! Crush that Body gives me one gauge, while Hymn mills a card and regains one life. Necropalm and Crossbow will link attack Vioroza again!”

“Revival Arrow!”

“Cursed Command!”

Another combo strike obliterated Vioroza, who only returned with more fervor and determination. As per instruction, she destroyed Necropalm with another Counterattack, although her ability was meaningless with Hymn and Crush that Body towering over her.

“Necropalm’s ability activates, which allows me to call **Purgatory Knights, Ringblade Dragon** in his place by paying one gauge and sending the top card of my deck into Ringblade’s soul!”

“Damn it, while my armor breaks down, his only gets stronger. How did he manage to assemble such a strong combination of cards?” Jacob sulked.

“Orcus, Double Attack Vioroza, and destroy her once and for all!” Leon ordered, almost foaming at the mouth from the venom laced in his words.

“You’ll never get past me!” Vioroza rebutted. “Even if I’m slain, my death will not be in vain!”

Leon laughed. “Quit with your chivalrous decrees! You aren’t a real knight, you’re just a disgraced mercenary latching onto someone else now that you don’t have anything left!”

Vioroza’s eyes shot open. She could feel her eyes growing dewey, and instead of showing her Buddy her disgraced image, she prepared for what would be up ahead.

Another fireball prepared to crash down. Wiping her face on her sleeve, Vioroza looked behind her at the man she swore to protect, the sight in front of her almost too blinding to behold, and it was getting brighter by the second. The desolate Black Knight thought of her past, the times when she didn’t know why she was wandering the worlds as a sword for hire. She then looked back towards her impending doom. She wouldn’t back down; not anymore now that she had finally found her purpose. Not in front of…

Her king.

An explosion rocked the arena, with the smoke taking a few good minutes to settle back down. When all was said and done, Leon could be heard cackling among his entourage of knights.

“Finally! Finally, that harlot is good and gone. There’s no one left to protect you now!”

Jacob said nothing, he only looked at the person in front of him. It didn’t matter who he was, or where he came from, the only way Jacob identified him now was as an enemy.

Vioroza was alive, obviously. He knew that, and he knew that Leon knew that he knew that. But no one would get away with making his retainer cry.

“Ringblade: attack the fighter!”

He took it head on, crossing his arms in front of him to brace himself for the blow.

“Orcus, use Crossbow as fuel to continue your assault!” Leon ordered. “Fun fact: when Orcus absorbs a monster during my attack phase, I also get to draw a card.”

Another hit, another fireball. Why Orcus didn’t use his sword was beyond Jacob. Maybe Leon was just trying to humiliate him as much as possible.

“When a monster of my field is destroyed by my effects, Ringblade stands and attacks again!”

The chakram whizzing through him didn’t even faze him anymore. He kept his head face down, not wanting to show his anger to anyone else except his knight. The one he cared for, the one he loved.

“Use Ringblade as fuel and attack again, Orcus!”

Boom, another hit. More smoke to fill the arena.

“Again!”

Hit, although it at least it was finally over. Jacob dropped his arms as he stood slouched over himself in fatigue.

“Final Phase!”

Seth made a sound between coughing and choking that was near impossible to distinguish. “Are you serious? Leon has a new Impact?”

And then, the nightmare hit me again as I saw that colossal sword take to the skies.

“ **Sword of nothingness… Genocide Punisher!!** ”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Leon Aeolus._

Leon did it. He had actually managed to beat Jacob after losing to him three other times, consecutively at that. Not only that, but his Buddy and fellow monsters had evolved to become absolutely devastating.

Everyone was silent. Jacob was currently knocked down to ground, Vioroza rushing over to check up on him. He scratched the back of his head and flinched as our former teammate approached him.

“Hahahahaha, finally. After all this time, it only took one more evolution to beat you. Who’s the one standing tall, now?”

“This isn’t over.” Jacob rebuked. “We’ll settle things once and for all in the final match tomorrow.” Just then, the sound of intercom drowned all any other words that were about to be said.

“That is indeed correct, ladies and gentlemen. In fact, that last fight took so long that we are now out of time for the preliminary rounds. Which means, advancing to the final match tomorrow will be Purgatory Revival and… the Nexus Enforcers!”

“Ehhhh!?!?” Seth and I exclaimed.

“What!? How?!” Jacob said, almost equally as shocked as we were. However, before we could start asking questions, Mr. Castor started approaching us from the outskirts of the stage.

“Mr. Castor, why are _we_ going to the final round?!” Seth inquired, which caused our instructor to laugh wildly.

“About that…” He began. “All of you were so busy watching that match that I managed to go scrape up a few more wins. Seems like it was enough to push us into second place.” Sure enough, the scoreboard in the corner of the room showed the Nexus Enforcers with 31 wins while the Violent Thorns only had 30.

Leon, who hadn’t anything else up to this point, just stared at us blankly. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and he probably couldn’t, either. After a few moments, he walked off without doing anything more.

“Well, all’s fair in love and war, I suppose.” Jacob said, approaching us after getting off the ground. “I don’t know what he’s thinking, but it’s up to you guys to smack some sense back into him. Good luck.” He then left the arena, with Vioroza and Rika in tow.

That sort of served as the cue for the rest of the competitors to file out. After some hustling and bustling, the Nexus Enforcers were left alone in the arena to contemplate their next move. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, that’s for sure.

Seth was the first speak up, albeit sounding a little more shaky than usual. “So… we can only select one representative from our team to fight Leon, right? Who is it going to be?”

“That’s obvious, isn’t it?” Mr. Castor jovially responded. “I think Matt should go.”

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that the weight of his words took a few seconds to actually hit me. “W-Wait, me?” I quizzically replied.

“That’s right.” Our instructor stated. “You’re the one who first faced him all that time ago, don’t you think it’s appropriate that you would be the one to clash with him again?” He then winked at me, and my face lit up in excitement.

“R-Right!” I said, feeling more pumped than ever. “I’ll do my best!”

“Haha, that’s the way, Matt! This guy thinks he can just leave us and form his own team? Let’s kick him a new one!” My eternally-sarcastic Buddy chimed in from his PDA. I smiled at him and proceeded to exit the stage with my fellow Nexus Enforcers.

A few more hours passed. Me and Net were now in our room at the nearby hotel, and I was barely able to sleep knowing what was set to happen tomorrow. I could tell that Net was the same way as I could faintly see his PDA glowing on the nearby desk.

Groggily, I sat up and went over to fetch him, feeling the tablet vibrate in my hands before his signature sprite flashed onto the screen.

“You couldn’t go to sleep, either?” He asked, sitting in a sprite chair that was positioned right next to a pixelated bed.

“Hehe, yeah…” I then frowned. “Yellow Module turned out to be pretty effective today, but I can’t help but feel that we’re missing something.”

My Buddy copied my actions. “I have the same feeling. I know that there are more of my friends out there, but what are going to do at this point?” I could staticky thumps as I saw him stomp his spritely feet. “Man, I’m so frustrated, they should just call me the ‘Sprite that Never Sleeps!’”

That’s when it hit me. “Never sleeps, huh?” I then looked out my window, immediately being blinded by just how many lights were still on in Chicago. “I think I’ve got an idea.” I then rushed to put my shoes on, not caring to get dressed any further, and sprinted out the front door.

“This is it, ladies and gentlemen! The moment you’ve all been waiting for, the final match of the North American BuddyFight Nationals!”

The crowd roared in approval. The bleachers of the stadium were now filled with some of the former participants, as well as some newcomers who just wanted to see the final match of the tournament. All the way across the stage, I could see Leon solemnly standing on his own.

“Another tidbit of information some of you newbies probably don’t know, but the final match of the tournament has some alterations made to it.” Bob continued, sounding as fake as ever, but it may have just been my cynicism. “In order to make sure that the fight is purely relying on skill alone, both fighters have their life increased to 20 to account for any bad hands for unlucky draws!”

Hearing that they were in for an extra-long, action-packed fight, the audience once again let loose a series of cheers, hoots, and hollers. It was almost deafening just how much they were able to shake the convention center with their voices.

“With that out of the way, let’s meet our contestants!” The commentator shouted into the microphone.

“Good luck, Matt! You got this!” Seth said, giving me a quick fist bump of encouragement.

“We’re all behind you.” Mr. Castor concurred. “Come back a winner, and with Leon in tow!”

“Right!” I replied, then walked towards the center to join my opponent, our former brother-in-arms. “You ready for this?” I asked my Buddy, who was currently lounging in the crook of my arm. Well, his PDA was, anyway.

“After what happened yesterday? You bet.” We soon reached the center, a few seconds after Leon.

A few seconds of silence passed between before we heard the commentator speak up once again.

“Okay! Since our fighters have no comments, we better get this underway. Leon will take the first move, so will both fighters please luminize?”

“To return home to our friends and family, we must first face the darkness within! Luminize: Oath of Revival!”

“Technology is its own world, forever evolving in both good and bad, let’s dive in! Luminize: Network of Battle!”

This was it. I flashed back to our very first fight, and remembered how weak I was at that point in time. I laughed and shook my head. That wasn’t going to happen this time. I was going to win. I had met friends, I found my own Buddy, I was part of a team, hell, we even managed to win a regional tournament. I wasn’t going to let this little speedbump slow me down. Not now, not ever!

“Say it with me, folks! One. More. Time!”

I could hear the audience breathing in, I could almost feel their apprehension as their collective excitement bored its way through my soul.

And then, it came back out.

“Buuuddddyyyy… FIGHT!!!”


	21. Final Fight? See You Next Time, Nexus Enforcers!

“Raise the flag!”

“Darkness Dragon World.”

“Hero World!”

“Well, looks like this is it.” Seth remarked. “I can’t believe we’ve come so far, only to fight amongst ourselves.”

Mr. Castor patted him on the back. “It’ll all turn out okay in the end. You’ve only gotten this far because you believed in yourself, right? Now it’s turn to believe in Matthew; and if you do, I’m certain he’ll come out on top.” After being relieved with a prominent, jovial smile, the instructor turned back to watch the fight between two of his most significant students.

I was doing quite fine, myself. I mean, sure, I was nervous about the whole ordeal, but I had already told myself that I wasn’t going to back down. As I looked towards Leon, shrouded in that sinister armor, I realized that words weren’t going to get through to him. With that in mind, I forgoed speaking and instead chose to respond with my fists. They do say good fighters don’t need words to speak anyway, right?

With that in mind, Leon began his first turn of many in this modified BuddyFight. “Draw; charge and draw. Equip **Purgatory Knights Reborn Sword, Expia Sword** , and attack.” A swift slash later, and Leon’s turn was over.

Leon - Matthew  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
19/2/7 - 18/2/6

I began my turn as ceremoniously as ever, a confident smile on my face. “Here we go! I pay two gauge to Buddy Transform into **Computer Warrior, Netman**!”

As the blue cybernetic suit surrounded me, I heard my companion resounding through my head. “Remember, Expia allows him to search for Orcus, so we need to brace ourselves for an aggressive next turn.”

“You got it.” I responded. “ **Computer Warrior, Protocolulu** and **Computer Warrior, Archive** to the left and right, respectively. Protocolulu gives us another hand card, and, thanks to Archive’s effect, we can now use our Net Shot!”

I proceeded to transform my drill into an arm cannon, firing a blast of blue energy that careened towards Leon. The resulting smoke cleared to reveal him standing as steadfast as ever.

“Everyone: converge on the fighter!” I ordered, which preceded a mass of yellow energy rings, a hammer strike, and a drill attack. Afterwards, my turn was over.

Leon - Matthew  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
11/2/7 - 19/0/5

Leon did nor said nothing in return, he only began to charge and draw the same way he did before. It made wonder just how much he had gone through in that short time we were separated.

“Buddy Call **Atonement Purgatory Knights Leader, Orcus Sword Dragon** to the right, along with two copies of **Purgatory Knights Reborn, Crossbow Dragon** to the left and center.”

The trio of liberated dragons took the field, now adorned in their new dark blue armor. Knowing what had happened in the previous fight, I braced myself for an aggressive entourage of attacks.

“Center Crossbow: attack Archive!”

_“Wait, he’s not going immediately for me?”_ I thought, perplexed at this turn of events. It seemed strange that he would opt to not automatically try to win the fight given the previous match’s outcome. Thinking about that match, however, is what caused it to hit me. _“That’s it. As aggressive as his deck may be, he knows he doesn’t have the resources to finish me off in a single turn, so he’s instead trying to make sure I can’t fight back.”_ With that in mind, I formulated my next move.

“I cast **Control XV** , which allows me to bounce one Computer monster in exchange for calling another one, who then becomes the target of your current attack. Archive is replaced by a second Protocolulu, who nets me another draw before leaving the field!”

As smart as my plan was, it didn’t irk Leon in the slightest, who just pressed on with his turn.

“Left Crossbow: attack the first Protocolulu.” This attack actually hit its intended mark, which left my field empty for the time being.

What followed was a barrage of sword slashes and fireballs from Orcus, who continued to refuel himself using his underlings, which allowed Leon to gain gauge, draw cards, and fill Orcus’s soul all at the same time, greatly boosting his resources. And then a final slash from Expia ended his turn, putting him in a commanding lead.

Leon - Matthew  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
12/4/7 - 9/0/5

“Draw; charge and draw.” I looked over my options. I knew from the start that Leon would be amassing resources, meaning that I would have to end this fight quick. He hadn’t started to form much a defense yet, which gave me the opportunity to turn things around.

“I call Protocolulu and Archive back to their respective positions, and then I cast **Hyper Energy** to gauge charge four. With that new gauge, here’s another Net Shot!”

The resulting smoke dispersed, and could feel a smirk growing on the edge of my lips. Managing to even things up in one fell swoop had Leon growing a little impatient, as evident by the look of irritation starting to show up on his face.

“We’re neck and neck in terms of life now, don’t lose the pace!” Net urged. I nodded and showed him the card I was planning to use next. Even though I couldn’t see him, I could tell that he was smiling from ear to ear. “Let’s do it, partner.”

“Next I cast **Special Weapon, Virus Buster**!”

I felt a warmth immediately overwhelm me as our signature blue armor took on a blackish hue, with the powers of Antivirus being, quite literally, uploaded into our soul. Leon’s eyes widened as he witnessed a new card being cast for the very first time.

I flashed a stupid grin. “Surprised? We found this late last night on a last minute shopping spree. We were luckily that there were still card shops open, but I guess that’s Chicago for ya!” Composing myself, I pressed on. “Either way, I now activate Protocolulu’s effect; by removing a transformed Computer’s soul card, I can gauge charge two.”

Instead of Virus Buster disappeared completely, however, a sphere of black and orange energy started to converge near the tip of our drill.

“But that’s not all!” Net chimed in. “When Virus Buster is removed from the soul of a Computer card, we can destroy one monster on your field and gain life equal to its size!”

Once it was fully charged up, I pitched the ball of energy towards Orcus, destroying him and regaining two life. Leon grew even more irritated as we pulled ahead of the game.

“Now that Protocolulu has done her job, I’ll retire her to call **Computer Warrior, Hackman** who bounces whichever monster is in front of him as long as another Computer is on my field.”

Orcus disappeared once more, quickly reviving with Soulguard. “We’re getting close.” Net said. “Just keep on pushing, and we got this in the bag.”

“Hmm…” I muttered. “I think it’s time for a change of pace. You with me, Buddy?”

Net realized my intentions before speaking up to respond. “I get ya, let’s do it!”

“Right!” I replied. “I unequip _Computer Warrior_ Net and pay two gauge in order to Transform into **Netman, “Yellow Module!”** ”

My blue armor faded away before quickly being replaced with a yellow one. I had most of the same trinkets and fittings, but my right hand housed a keypad instead of a drill.

“Now I’ll activate our Yellow Charge, which functions the same as Blue Charge. But, instead of allowing us to gain an extra gauge, it gives us an additional critical.” Unbeknownst to Leon, I chose to charge another Virus Buster for later. With my formation complete, I moved to the next phase. “Archive: attack Orcus!”

“Orcus revives and responds with Counterattack.” Leon called out. In a flash, Archive was gone while Orcus lost its last soul card.

Not wanting to stop the tempo, I threw my hand out in command. “Hackman: attack Orcus again!” This time, Orcus was gone for good, which meant I could finally focus on attacking Leon directly. “And now it’s our turn!” This attack was also successful, leaving Leon with only six life, which also signified the end of my turn.

Leon - Matthew  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
6/4/7 - 11/2/1

Leon began his turn with an aggressive charge and draw, and I knew that he was going to try and finish me off in this next battle phase.

“Unequip Expia to equip another Expia, and call Orcus back to the right. One gauge and a soul card to call **Purgatory Knights, Ringblade Dragon** to the left. Cast **Purgatory Sorcery, Blood Oath Formation** , which allows me to draw and ensures that my Purgatory Knights can’t be destroyed or bounced by your effects during this turn.”

“Hmph.” Net scoffed. “As if we were going to do that anyway. Just be sure to hold out to the best of your ability, and victory should be assured by the next round.”

I considered my companions words. _“That is true. If he tries to end things right now, then he’s most likely to leave himself open in regards to defense. If I can just survive this turn, then it shouldn’t take much to finish him off once it comes back to my move.”_ I nodded to myself in approval. _“That’s what I’ll do then!”_

“Hackman moves to the center!” I called out, as soon as Leon began his attack phase.

Leon wasn’t deterred, however, which was pretty standard for his current personality. “Ringblade: attack Hackman!” My temporary wall was easily dispatched, and Orcus was still ready to unleash both of his initial attacks. “Orcus: attack the fighter!”

“I cast **Backspace** to nullify the attack! Then, since a Computer monster was destroyed during this turn, I can fetch one back from the drop zone.”

“Rrrgh! Attack again, Orcus!” Leon ordered, flinging his hand out in frustration. A fireball later left me with nine life.

“Refuel using Ringblade’s soul! Ringblade also stands thanks to his effect. Both of them attack once again!”

“Damn it!” I shouted as the combined efforts of the chakram and swords brought me down by three more life. Luckily, however, Orcus was only able to attack one more time. Combined with a slash from Expia, the two attacks only dealt four damage, leaving me with two life. On the bad side of things, Orcus had gained more soul in which to defend with, leaving me with little options in terms of offense.

Leon - Matthew  
Life/Gauge/Hand - Life/Gauge/Hand  
5/2/8 - 2/2/1

I panted, one of my knees down on the ground, one of my arms braced against the wood floor for support. I was getting fatigued, and wasn’t sure how long I could hold out against my former teammate. I had already done my charge and draw, but had briefly collapsed from the previous attacks.

Struggling to get back up, I heard a familiar voice in my head.

“Come on, Matt, this is the final stretch! This is our chance to win!”

I groaned as I rose back up to my feet. “I know, but how are we going to get through Orcus when he has two soul cards and Counterattack? There’s no way our current field can make that many attacks!”

Net smiled, or at least, I think he did. “There’s one card in our deck that can get us out of this. _You_ just have to draw it.”

My eyes widened. That’s it. Throughout this whole fight, we’d been relying on each other, considering what each person thought about the situation, and then executed based on our contemporary judgments. But that wasn’t what was needed right now. The only way we would be able to win was if _I_ drew the card all on my own.

“Heheh, you’re right.” I said, a smile plastering itself across my face. “There is one card that can get us out of this no win situation.” I then readied myself. “And I’ll draw it right now!”

“It’s my turn! I call **Computer Warrior, Protocolulu** back to the left, whose effect activates.” I placed my hand on my Core Gadget, and summoned up all the willpower I had left within me. “Now let’s… draw!!”

Time seemed to stop as I swiped across that all too familiar PDA. The crowd was silent as the card slowly materialized, clasped between my thumb and my first two fingers. I looked towards my outstretched arm and flipped the card over. The white veil faded away into blue particles to reveal a red silhouette of an equally all too familiar figure.

“You drew it! Our card of destiny!”

“Time to let loose!” I annouced. “First, I activate Protocolulu’s second effect in order to trigger the Virus Buster in Yellow Module’s soul, destroying Orcus once and regaining two life. Next, I unequip Yellow Module and use that two gauge to Transform into **Netman, Red Reboot!** ””

“Another Netman form?!” Leon spewed out, flabbergasted at this turn of events.

“Surprised once again?” I asked, as my cocky smile seeked to join the formation of the red cybernetic suit. “This was our other find last night, and it’s the card that’s going to beat you!” The transformation finished, and both of my arms were attached to two wrench-like apparatuses. “Now I cast and send another Virus Buster into this transformation’s soul, which allows us to use our Reboot Shot!”

“Reboot Shot?” Our opponent inquired.

“Reboot Shot, indeed!” Net replied. “Like our other two shots, it costs a soul card and one gauge, but in return, we gain Penetrate and Double Attack! But don’t forget about the Virus Buster we just removed from our soul, because that effect isn’t once per turn!”

Orcus was obliterated once more, which left him with no soul cards.

“Moving to the attack phase!” I called out.

“O-Orcus: move to the center!” Leon retorted, his voice taking on a more shaky tone as he realized what was about to happen.

“Let’s go, Net! Attack!” I swung my left arm forward, the wrench colliding with Orcus’s blade. While he was occupied, though, I took the opportunity to deliver a swift uppercut with my right arm, destroying him for good. I then charged past the center position.

“Penetrate!” Net called out.

“Protocolulu, follow our lead!” Another successful, there was only one thing left to do.

“Here it comes…” I began.

“Our final, and strongest…” Net concurred.

“This can’t be happening! I was meant to free them! I cast everything away in order to gain this power, how can I lose to the two of you!?!”

“Double Attack!!”  
“Double Attack!!”

_GAME OVER. WINNER: Matthew Pandora._

I don’t quite exactly what happened after that. As soon as the mechanical tone rang out to signify my victory, everyone rushed to the center of the convention, well, center to join me, my teammates included. I was immediately hoisted up by a dozen people, and the Nexus Enforcers were proclaimed the United States BuddyFight champions.

After I nervously urged our former competitors to put me down, I sought out Leon, who was currently lying on the ground in anguish. As my shadow overwhelmed him, he looked up to see me with a stupid smile on my face, the same one I had on when we first formed the team. I offered him a hand, and when he wouldn’t take it, I grabbed his forearm and pulled him back up myself.

He looked at me funny, but soon mellowed up once he saw Seth and Mr. Castor approaching. There was going to be a lot of questions asked, that’s for sure.

I’ll be honest, we weren’t the strongest fighters at that moment, not at all. Even now, I’m still not sure if we’re ready for the SF Cup.

But even so, I’m glad I joined the Nexus Enforcers. It taught me a lot about BuddyFight, sure...

But as I look at the PDA still in my hands to this day, I realize that it’s taught me something much more important. Something I’ll never forget, even if BuddyFight no longer exists.

Until that time, though? I think I’ll just keep on climbing, because no one’s ever gonna stop me from trying to be the best! There ain’t no rest for the wicked, as they say, but you know what I say?

“There’s no rest for the next Strongest Fighter! So see you next time!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody, Marx here.
> 
> So, it's finally done. I'll be honest, writing this chapter was a pain. But, I wanted to get it out, as I felt that it was the perfect way to commemorate the start of summer. While I may not be satisfied with exactly how everything came out, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. But, don't fret! I've got a lot of plans for the summer in terms of writing. Honestly, I was kind of rushing to finish this chapter, just so I could get started on other projects. There's a lot of ideas swirling around in my head right now, some related to this story, some that are absolutely different. Different franchises, different original characters, my first ever erofiction, you name it!
> 
> But, anyway, even if you're only a fan of BuddyFight, thanks for taking the time to read my story. It was a lot of fun, and I hope that you enjoyed the ride. With that said, I guess I'll talk to guys again (maybe) at a later date. So, see ya next time!


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